Through Soul and Body: To Love-Ru
by The Red Infinity
Summary: The hardest to love in the universe, Tatsuya Yuki, is thrown into the middle of not only the Earth's, but the universe's troubles when two girls come and change his fate forever. Will he be able to handle the obstacles that come his way, terrestrial or not? Or will he fall within the darkness that may very well await him along the journey? Rukia is not part of the Harem. OC x Harem
1. The Burglar Brings An Evil Spirit

A teenager had been sent flying across a room, his body covered in bruises and marks as he had dropped his sword, which had been a large bladed sword with an extra hilt between the guard and the blade as the blade curved in around it. The guard had a odd pentagon shaped item in the center of it, which had a black cross on each side which led to the skull design on the front. On the teenager's body was a tattered black jacket with orange trims, a pair of black jeans and shoes with orange lining along them, which seemed to go along with the orange markings that spread across his torso and across the back of his hands.

From the side he was sent flying from was a man who stood tall, wearing a white coat with black fur trims over a black button shirt that was open, revealing a hole through his chest. Just above his eye brow was a piece of a devil-like eye piece of a white mask, which the iris of it's black eye had been glowing bright yellow. He grinned as he held his katana over his shoulder and laughed at the boy on the ground, his black leather boot stepping on the teen's back, causing a crater to form below him as it pushed him deeper into the ground, him coughing out blood.

"Aww.. What's wrong?! You ain't gonna get up?! How _pathetic_!" He kicked him away, the teen tumbling as he had hit the wall. "Some Shinigami Representative you are.. And you said you were gonna avenge your gramps..? How the hell are you gonna do that when your dead from my attacks!" He slashed downward, a slash wave of black and red energy heading straight for him.

The teen grit his teeth as he reached for his sword, which had flew toward his direction. An explosion had flooded the area.

* * *

That same teenager, yet younger, had been jumping across rooftops as he had looked around, one hand was in his pocket and the other held a bag, most likely for school. This teen had donned a downward flock of a lighter brown toward orange hair that had several strands standing in different areas. He had also worn a pastel yellow blazer with brown trimmings. Underneath the blazer was a white dress shirt that had been accustomed with a brown tie. His pants had been a white green and dark green plaid, that had been matched by the pair of white shoes with neon green trims on the bottoms around around the laces.

'_My name is Tatsuya Yūki. Though, my friends call me Tatsu. As you might know.. I was the first of a few childhood friends to leave Kuoh. Back then, it was just me, Ise, Tsukune, and Irina. But now.. I'm pretty much on my own, well except for my friend, Kenichi Saruyama, and my little sister Mikan, which we had moved soon after her 4th birthday. So she's kinda grown up here in Sainan._'

He kept jumping across roofs. As he did, he looked around to see if anyone was watching. When he caught a glimpse of someone, he got down and out of sight. This was because he hadn't exactly told anyone about this ability of his

'_Well. I haven't told anyone, not even Mikan, but I've had a special power since birth. Not even my Mom and Dad know about them.. The only ones who've known are my childhood friends and my late grandfather, who had been attacked by some monster that no one else but me and Tsukune were able to see.. To this day, I still haven't been able to figure out what the hell it was.._'

He had then hopped off one roop, falling into an alley as he had then landed the ground, which had put out a bit of an aura in order to cause him to lose inertia before landing.

'_But, like my grandpa asked.. I've lived a normal life for the most part since. It's the first year of High School at Sainan Metropolitan High School, or Sainan High for short. I've got a girl on my mind and I've had the hardest time telling her my feelings.._'

He turned, seeing a girl playing with her dog. Although, the two of them were completely transparent as the walking by students passed through them.

'_Ever since I was a kid.. I've been able to see ghosts.. And most times.. I get odd looks when I do things for them._'

He looked up and saw the kid about to break down in tears when a small memorial spot for Koro, most likely the dog, was knocked over by a walking by student who cursed himself after hitting it before walking off. Tatsuya then walked over and tipped the small tomb back up, causing the girl to smile and jump in joy, running back over to her dog as he smiled.

'_Still, though.. It always puts a smile to my face to help someone.. Though. the way I am now.. It doesn't actually make me.. Feel better about myself._'

He sighed as he came out of the alley, heading toward the front gate of the mentioned school. He then turned as he saw three girls, one who had his attention. She bore a bob of dark purple hair that had a red hair clip in the front, which went along with her bright purple eyes. She wore a similar attire to him, though with a short skirt instead of pants and black high knee socks which slipped into her white shoes.

'_Sairenji Haruna. Ever since Junior High, she's been the closest friend I've had aside from Saruyama. The best part about her is that she may not look it, but she's got the strength of an ox. Hell, she can do things that I doubt anyone in the old Karate Dojo I use to go to could!_'

Right next to her was a teenager of average height with black hair and brown eyes.

'_Tatsuki Arisawa. Speaking of the old Karate Dojo, she's the daughter of the woman who owns said Dojo. She and Haruna have been best friends for a while now. Though, some people sometimes question whether or not she's a female because of her lean body and violent attitude.. But.. Just trust me when I say that _I know _she's a female. Well, anyway.. She's a childhood friend who helped me get past Grandpa's death.. So, I'd say she's one of the most trustworthy people at this school._'

He smiled to himself, although his smile faded.

'_I can do a lot of things.. I'm said to be a good representative for every sport.. And I'm the top runner of all my classes.. Which left me thinking that life was just for fun.. Until I met Sairenji.. Since then, I haven't been able to talk to girls as well as I used to, and I've gotten really clumsy ever since she started popping up in my mind.. Which ends up getting me into a lot more trouble than it's all worth._' He sighed. '_Although.. I haven't been tripping much lately, so I guess it's been alright._'

He shrugged as he switched out his shoes for slippers as he began his way to his classroom.

'_To be honest.. What I'm the most glad about.. Is that this year of High School might not be so bad after all.._' He shrugged as he had walked into his class, setting his bag down and sitting with a smile on his face as he looked out the window. A peaceful day outside, he had put his hands behind his head and sat back, breathing in and enjoying the fresh air.

_Right then.. I had no idea how wrong I was._

* * *

Tatsuya had been on his way to walk home when he had turned to see Haruna approaching, which in response he turned back toward her with a brow raised. She had a smile on her face as she had stood next to him as cars were driving by.

"Hey, there, Yūki-kun." She said with a smile, to which he had returned. "Yo, Sairenji." He replied.

"S-So, um.. Y-Yūki-kun..?" She had fiddled with her thumbs as she had spoke up, Tatsuya turning his attention to her with a smile on his face. "What's up, Sairenji?" She had turned a bit red as she had looked up to him, then back down shortly after, continued to fiddle with her thumbs.

"A-Are you free tomorrow..?" She looked to him. "Yeah, why?" Her eyes brightened up a bit. "W-Well, then.. Yūki-kun.."

A car passed by.

"Could.."

The street light became yellow.

"..you.."

The cars were beginning to slow down as they were passing.

"...um.."

The street light had turned red, the cars coming to a pause in their tracks as they all sat, raring to get going. "G-G.. G.. Go.." The walking signal soon came up.

"O-Out.." Haruna paused, then took a deep breath. She then looked to up to face Tatsuya.. Though. One problem. He was gone. She then turned to see Tatsuya running across the street.

"Sorry, Sairenji! I just remembered that Dad was going to be home tonight and he gets all grumpy when I keep him waiting!" He waved as he had then continued to run.

"W-Wait, Y-Yūki-kun!" She had then noticed that something had dropped to the ground. It was Tatsuya's charm given to him by his Grandfather when he was a child, as told to her by Tatsuki. She had picked it up and looked to where Tatsuya headed off to, but he was already long gone. She sighed and had turned.

"I guess I could give it to him tomorrow.." She held it close, heading in the opposite direction. She needed to think over her loss today with a long walk home.

From a distance, Tatsuki had been leaning against a wall of the alleyway leading to that crossing, her arms crossed as she sighed. "I tried to warn her.. Tatsuya's always been a hard one to love.. Ever since he was a kid.."

* * *

Speaking of Tatsuya, his foot was in the face of a man who wore a beanie over his head, looking to be one of your everyday gangsters as he fell down, the boy's footprint in his face, somehow even on his goatie.

"UWAH?! TOSHI-BRO'S down!" The other two yelled Tatsuya looked to them with a glare.

"I-I don't know how this is happening.. But this man.. He's dangerous, man!"

"You said it! I've never seen such irrational violence!"

"W-We better run while we still can.. You can tell by that look in his eyes.. If we fight 'im.. We'll definitely die!"

Tatsuya's brow twitched at all the comments as he had then roared, "WOULD YOU ALL SHUT UP ALREADY?!" He emphasized it by stepping on the downed man's leg, it popping a bit as he had groaned in pain. As they became silent, he pointed over to a vase that was knocked down, the water inside that kept the few flowers that were in the vase leaking out. "Alright, answer me.. What's that vase for?"

Both of them looked to each other, gulping before turning back. "I think _you_ should answer! Stinky-lookin' one!" He pointed to the one on the left, who had sweatdropped at his insult.

"Uh.. Well.. It's an offering to the kid who died here recently.." He said, mumbling a little as Tatsuya had grinned. Then, his foot flew into the man's face as he went flying back, his nose bleeding a bit. "Good answer!"

He then looked over to the sweating man without a cap on his head, who was looking in shock at his friends both downed in one hit. "Question 2.. Why is this vase knocked over..?" He glared.

"Mit-bro, are you ok?!" He had tried to shake the _stinky one_, who whiped his nose as he stood. "Well, uh.. We knocked it over.." Mit said. "..skateboarding.."

"Oh.. I see.." He pointed his thumb back behind him. Soon, the two had looked with wide eyes as for a split second, they had seen a girl with blood covering her right eye as she had been looking to Tatsuya with a confused expression on her face.

"AAAAAAAAAGHHHHHGHGHGHGH! We're sorry! We're sorry! I WON'T DO IT ANYMOOOOOOOOOOOOOORE!" The three screamed as they ran away in fright.

"Ah.. Well. If they got that scared, they might actually never come back here.." He sighed and put his hands in his pockets, looking to her. "Sorry about using you like that." The ghost girl had shook her head.

"No. I'm the one who asked you to scare them away. The least I could do is cooperate." She nodded and smiled, to which Tatsuya responded with the same smile. "Well. I'll bring you some new flowers soon." He waved as he turned to walk away.

"Thanks, mister.. Now I can spend my time quietly.." She waved.

He waved as he was walking off. "You're welcome. Just hurry up and go to heaven, will ya? It's not all that nice to stick around here."

* * *

**Through Soul and Body: To Love-Ru  
_Chapter 1: The Burglar Brings An Evil Spirit?!_**

* * *

"Tat.."

Tatsuya had walked into his home, setting his shoes down against the wall as he looked up, seeing his father, Saibai, running toward him at a high speed.

"..su.."

Tatsuya's eye brow was then twitching as he realized what his father was planning to do as the man had jumped while his body was still heading for the teen.

"..ya!"

His foot had flew through the air as it headed for the target of Tatsuya's torso, but failed as Tatsuya had caught it, the teen gritting his teeth a bit as a tick mark appeared on his head.

"Ya know.. Would it kill ya to say _Welcome Home, Son! _like every other dad?!" He barked, to which Saibai smirked. "Well, I'm not like every other day, because I am making you stronger each day. That was record timing that you had caught my kick, you know." He chuckled, to which Tatsuya threw his foot aside in response to.

"Toughening, you say..? Well. Whatever." He sighed. He knew he wasn't wrong. He wasn't caught off guard by his father's antics anymore. He walked into the kitchen, not wanting to admit that his father was right whatsoever.

He looked over and saw a short girl who had long hair that had a little of it being held up by a hair tie made of pink beads. Her eyes being the same golden hazel as his own as his. This was Yūki Mikan, his considerably mature younger sister. He had walked in, setting his bag down in one of the table chairs and looking over her shoulder to see what she was cooking. He took a sniff of it and smirked.

"Well, it looks like you're cooking won't disappoint tonight." He said, to which she looked back to him with a stern look. "And when does it _ever_ disappointed?" She puffed her cheeks, but then pointed to his bag.

"You shouldn't place that there, it's not meant to be at the dinner table!" Tatsuya had rubbed his ear as he walked over to it. "Alright, alright.. Sheesh, you don't have to give me that." He scratched the back of his head as he had walked upstairs. His room was distinguished from the rest by a pentagon sign on it with the number 15 on the front.

Tatsuya had opened the door and walked in. Setting his bag down as he had walked over to his desk, setting his book down and looking to see a part of sandled feet..

...

...

...

"WHAT THE HELL?!" He looked up and saw a woman with a bowl cut hair as her outfit was like a black kimono, the most notable thing being the sword she kept in a red sheath.

"..it is near." She said as she had hopped off the desk next to him, ignoring him entirely.

"_IT IS NEAR_, MY ASS!" He kicked her in the head, the girl rolling into the door. "Your a pretty damn confident burglar, you know?! By _it is near_, do you mean the safe you plan to break into?! Is that it?!"

The girl had a confused face as she had rubbed her forehead, looking toward him. "Wait.. Can you see me..? Or.. Rather.. Did you just kick..?"

He had blinked, "The hell do you mean? Of course I can see-"

He grunted a bit as he found his back being struck by the kneecaps of Saibai. "TAT-SU-YA! Do _not_ cause such a ruckus! It hinders Mikan's ability to cook dinner!" Tatsuya had clicked his teeth in annoyance as he swung his leg and kicked at his father's jaw. "How the hell am I _not_ gonna cause a ruckus?!"

Saibai rubbed the side of his face as he walked back to the door. "Well, whatever.." He sighed. "The hell do you mean, well whatever!? Do you not see the girl standing next to me?! Jeez, where the hell is the security in our house?!"

"Huh? What girl..?" Saibai blinked as he looked around, seeming to not see her. "This girl right-"

"It is futile." Tatsuya turned, the girl looking directly to him with a serious face. "Ordinary men cannot see me. For I am a Shinigami.."

_In the distance, a body had lied out on the neighborhood, blood splattered all over. Though, what was noticeable was that at it's chest was a hole that grew gradually. As it had grown to a specific size, the blood had soon gathered and begun to cover over his body, it becoming black as it grew in size. Soon, the fingers had gained long and sharp claws._

_It had then turned to see a girl walking home, most likely from work. The creature licked it's lips as a demonic mask had formulated over it's face, though it's mouth piece opened like a regular one all the same. It had then reached and grasped the woman tightly, her screams echoing through the streets. Though, they were in vain as the beast soon chomped down on her entire upper body, blood splattering all over it._

_"Hmm..? I sense some notable Reiryoku nearby.." It licked it's lips once more as it tossed the rest of the woman into it's mouth and ran off toward the direction of where the Reiryoku came from._

* * *

**The Burglar is.. A Shinigami (_死神_)?!**

* * *

Saibai had been sitting at the table, rubbing the side of his face. "Mikan.. What am I going to do..? Tatsuya kicked me hard.. Dad's been bad.." Mikan had simply shook her head. "You know what they say.. You reap what you sow.."

"So.. You are a Shinigami that had come from a place called the Soul Society.. To exterminate the evil spirits that go around the place.." The girl nodded as Tatsuya had crossed his arms. He then closed his eyes and sighed. "Alright.. I'll believe you."

"Really?"

"AS IF!" A tiny circular table at the center of the room was the victim of Tatsuya's anger as he flipped it over her, who dodged it shock. "H-HUH?!"

"You think I could believe that retarded shit?!" Tatsuya looked to her with a fist clenched.

"You're saying that even though you can see ghosts.. You cannot simply believe the existence of the Shinigami?!"

"That's exactly what I'm saying." Tatsuya replied. "Sorry to burst your bubble, but.. I've never come in contact with a so called _Shinigami_ before, so I can't exactly believe things I've never seen!" He began to push her out toward the door. "Since my dad can't see you, I'll admit that you're human. But, that Shinigami crap isn't gonna slide, you damn brat." The girl gained a tick mark on the side of her head.

"Tch.. For the nonsense you're spouting, you have left me without a choice!" She turned and threw out her index and middle finger. "Bakudo #1, Sai!" Tatsuya had widened his eyes as he had suddenly felt a pressure like that of a tight rope around his body.

"O-ow! Ouch! What.. the hell?! I can't move!" He struggled to break free of his invisible restraints, but failed.

"Fu fu fu.. Of course you can't move.. I've used a Kido Spell on you, which is a highly advanced one that only us Shinigami are able to use!" She said as she continued to kick at his back.

"You see.. Even though my body may look like this.. I have lived 10s of times longer than you have.. So how _dare_ you call me a brat?!" She pulled her sword from it's sheath. "Usually.. I wouldn't hesitate to kill foolish fellows like you.. But the Spiritual Law states that I cannot kill a human that hasn't been given an order to be killed.." She lifted it above her head.

"So.. I'll simply have to be content with your restraint.. Give thanks you brat.." Tatsuya looked up with wide eyes. "..and.." She brought it down. "W-wai-!"

He looked over as he had seen that she had struck an old man ghost on the forehead with the bottom of the sword's hilt. "N-no.. I.. I don't want to go to hell.." He pleaded.

"Do not fret.. I am not sending you to Hell.. Rather I am sending you to the Soul Society." She lifted her sword from his head, a marking appearing on it. "You see.. Unlike Hell.. It is a very peaceful place." Tatsuya watched as the man had disintegrated before his eyes. "Wha..?"

He flopped himself over. "What the hell did you to him?!" He asked in shock, to which she had turned. "Calm down. I simply sent him to the Soul Society." He calmed a bit.

"The technique I just used was called Konsō, which is a basic technique that is used by Shinigami to complete a part of their jobs. I believe in your language, you would call it _going to heaven_." He then looked away, processing what she said. "I don't believe I need to even ask.. Whether you believe me or not.. Do I?"

"I'll explain it with an illustration so that even a foolish brat like you can understand." She had sighed and put out her two fingers. "Shut up and listen carefully. There are _2_ types of spirits in our world." She had pulled a drawing board out of Tatsuya's desk, despite his protests.

"One.." She drew a smiling doodle.. But it was.. Just awful. "The first kind, which you of all people should know.. Are the pluses. They are the most common types of spirits." The other was equally as awful, but it was a smirking doodle. "The other kind are the Hollows. _They _are vile and attack living beings, devouring their souls and feeding off the energy it contains. They are what you would call _Evil Spirits_." She had then looked to Tatsuya while smirking confidently at her drawing. "So, any questions so far?"

"Yeah.. My first one is about your drawing.." She nodded with a smile. "..why does it suck at an abnormal level..?" She had growled as she then sprung over, drawing a mustache and goatie on his face. "Damn it..! Just because I can't move that doesn't mean-"

"Now, I will continue with my explanation, your Highness, Mr. Baron." Tatsuya grit his teeth at her comment. "Us Shinigami carry two important duties. The first is to guide Pluses, like the old man that was haunting you, to the Soul Society by using Konsō on them like you have seen." She drew the smiley duty going across the board with an arrow to a circle labeled Soul Society. "The second is to extinguish Hollows. Which is why I am currently here.."

Tatsuya was whiping the drawings off his face on the floor, looking to Rukia. "Hold on a minute.. If you came here on that mission.. Does that mean one of those Hollow things are somewhere nearby?" Rukia nodded. "That is indeed the case."

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU STANDING AROUND HERE FOR THEN?! GO GET RID OF IT, ALREADY!" He yelled, though she looked away. "Well.. About that.. I do not know why.. But I've had a lot of trouble sensing it as of late.."

"Wha- The hell do you mean by that..?" He then stopped as he heard a loud cry. He then looked around. '_The hell.. Was that.. Just now..?_' He looked to Rukia, who had been talking to herself at this point.

"It's as if a great power is hindering my ability to sense i-"

"Hey, Shinigami!" Rukia then looked to him with an annoyed face. "What is it, peasant?" He had ignored the statement as he looked up with an annoyed face of his own. "Did you not hear that huge voice just now?"

"Huge voice..? What do you mean by-" She then widened her eyes as she could now hear it, it being louder than before. '_This.. This sensation..! It's definitely the voice of.. A Hollow.. Though.. It still seems as if it were_ filtered..' She had looked over to Tatsuya, who had been looking around. '_There's still a feeling.. That I don't recognize.. So.. How..__ How did this guy.. Hear the voice before I, a Shinigami..?!_'

"KYAAAA!" Tatsuya had paused as he heard the scream. "That's Mikan's voice!" He realized, which put his focus on 100% when he saw Rukia suddenly run toward the door. "Hey! Wait! Was that voice.. Was that voice from before a Hollow?!" He questioned, though she hadn't been listening.

"Shut up and stay there! I'll take care of it, you simply stay there and wait!" She said as she had turned toward the door.

"Bullshit! The ones that're getting attacked by that thing are my family!" Tatsuya retorted back. "Release this Spell, damn it! Hurry!"

"Listen to yourself and think clearer about things! Even if I were to do that, there is nothing you would do except raise the victim count by 1! It would be best for you to stay there and quietly wait until I'm done!" She had opened the door, widening her eyes as he had felt a massive force hit her directly in the face as it had poured at her like a raging wind.

'_S-Such a powerful Reiryoku.. How could I have failed to notice it before..?!_' The girl then turned when she heard footsteps as she turned to see Mikan running in, passing her as she saw Tatsuya on the ground.

"T-Tatsuya, your ok!" She ran over and hugged him tightly. Tatsuya's eyes were wide as he saw her bleeding everywhere, noticing that it took all of her strength to get up here. "Mikan.. What's going on?!" He quickly asked.

"I-I don't know.. All of a sudden.. Dad's back.. Had started bleeding and he fell.. And everything started to fall apart.. I.. I don't know where Dad is.. I could.. Barely make out.. Some big thing.. Trying to attack me.. Tatsuya.. You've.. Got.. To run.." He looked in shock as she had fallen to the ground, him gritting his teeth.

"Do not fret.. She is only unconscious.. Her soul is still intact." The girl had checked her vitals. She then looked over as she saw Tatsuya trying to pull himself out of the invisible restraints.

"Wait! Stop, now, you fool! If you try to use human strength to break out of those, you'll surely die!" She screamed out, though it hadn't stopped him. "Tch.. GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Tatsuya roared out as a blue aura erupted around him, causing the invisible restraints around him to reveal themselves a blue glowing chains, which were beginning to crack.

'_What.. Is this.. This is not.. It can't be human.._' She said as she backed away a bit in shock as it pulsed before the chains shattered around his body. Although, the chains had sparked a bit before Tatsuya hit the ground. Although, a blue light had floated out of his back, it taking a new shape and forming a second Tatsuya, who looked around in confusion.

"H-Huh?! What happened!? W-Why am I on the ground.. Wait.. If I'm on the ground then.." He looked to his hands in shock. "W-What the hell's going on here..?!"

The Shinigami had blinked, she had no recollection of this ever happening before. Though she hadn't the time to worry about it. '_He released the restraints.. With Human Power.. I've never heard of such a ridiculous thing.._' Tatsuya had shaken his head and ran out toward the door.

"Wait!" She tried to protest, but he hadn't listened. '_What is he-?!_'

* * *

**Courage to Stand? Or Run?**

* * *

Tatsuya had ran down the stairs, grasping a bat out of the closet and looking around. '_Mikan said his back was bleeding.. Dad, you better be ok, damn it!_' He looked over, his father was on the ground, but he seemed like he was breathing. Though, what really caught his attention was the large being in the distance, who stood at the hole in the wall it created.

'_So.. That thing.. Is a Hollow..?!_' He questioned internally as it looked toward him, licking it's lips. '_She said _Evil Spirit_, which usually means it has a _human _form.. But this.. This is a damn monster.. What the hell..?!_' He found himself cowering as he watched it reach into another room. '_Wait.. Is that.._' He had found himself in a realization.

'_That's like the thing.. That killed grandpa.. Was that thing.. A Hollow too..?!_' He had felt a rage boil up, but.. His fear had overpowered it.

'_..why..? Why body..? Why the hell are you shaking..?!_' He grasped his arm. '_You're not.. Afraid.. You're not going to be.. You've seen countless ghosts of all kinds.. This.. Is no different, damn it..!_' His mind was then purged of all thoughts as he looked forward to see what, or rather who, the Hollow had pulled out of the other room.

"MIKAN!" He roared out, the girl screaming out in pain as she looked to her brother with tears. "Nii..chan.." A fire had been lit in his eyes as he had charged forward, arching his arm out to smack it with the bat. For a split second, his irises in his hazel eyes had become bright blue as he had swung the bat, a force of impact hitting it in the leg as it had been hit hard, falling downward, dropping Mikan as it was knocked off balance.

Tatsuya then jumped and caught his sister, rolling and sliding a bit, scratching his pants a bit, to which he winced in pain. "Tch.. Damn bastard.. Hurting my sister twice.." He set her down against a street pole, turning toward it. He growled and then charged toward it again, trying to strike it with the bat.

This time, it swung back. When the back of it's hand hit the bat, it shattered at contact. Then, whilst Tatsuya looked at it with shock, he was hit by the creature's hand into another street pole, sliding down it in pain as he held his chest. He then looked to his hands. Blood. Blood was flowing from his head. Must've been from the crash. Though, he simply ignored it as he had tried to charge toward him again, but was smacked back once more.

He had tumbled across the ground as more bruises spread across his body from the impacts he made with the ground alone. "Urghh.. Damn it.. All.." He clutched his fist. "I.. Can't.. Lose them.." He had slowly stood up, blood dripping from his head still as he looked over to the creature. There was only one way in mind he could save his family.

"You're supposed to eat souls, right..? Well.. Here I am.. Come after _me_! Not them! Leave them alone!" He let his arms out as it had then charged toward him, which he had taken a deep breath in, closing his eyes.

GUUSH!

He opened his eyes, then he gained a shocked expression as he saw the Shinigami standing in front of him, seeing she had taken the blow for him. Blood had splattered all over as she had fallen to the ground, dropping her sword. "Y.. You idiot.." She said, looking to him. "That.. Was a very admirable thing you just did.. But.. It would have been.. In vain.."

"Tch.. Then.. Then what am I supposed to do..?" He had looked up toward the beast, which had roared out in rage as it then looked down toward her sword. '_She.. She sent that old man away with this sword, right..? Maybe.. The key to beating that thing is..!_' Tatsuya walked over and grasped the sword, picking it up off the ground as he had looked toward the beast. "Wait, what are you-" She tried to scream at him, but her body kept her down on the ground.

"I'm just.. Going to borrow it.. Just until I can cut that thing up." He had then tightened his grip on the hilt of the sword, not noticing a marking growing around his hand as his irises had once again become a blue color, a blue aura engulfing the sword in hand as he had pulled it out of the sheath. Once he had pulled it out, it was no longer red. As the hilt had become blue throughout with a silver tracing around the hilt and a silver trim at the end of the hilt, which had still carried the stamp marking of the Konsō. The guard had now been in a circular shaped as it had the number 1 on the left and 5 on the right side of it. With the blade now being doubled in width, it's presence gave off more of a pressure to it, it being silver with the edges being laced in a blue light.

Tatsuya had looked toward the creature, it glaring back at him. Though, his attire had been changed, instead of his school blazer, he wore a black cloak that had white trims along the openings and the collar, also around the ends of the sleeves. Also, his blazer pants were now black with white lining, and his shoes were white with black lining to match. He had then leaped forward as it charged toward him.

Once his foot touched the ground again, the arm of the beast had severed right off, it hitting the ground hard as he had turned toward it. As it had then roared out as it charged toward him, he lifted his blade up, swooping his arm down and slashing straight through the Hollow, it splitting before it could come into contact with him as Tatsuya slid a bit from the speed he was moving it, stabbing the sword into the ground to stop himself.

"Well.. Looks like this thing really _does _do the trick." Tatsuya turned back over to the Shinigami, stabbing the sword into the ground in front of her as it returned to its original state. "Well, here ya go, Shinigami. As promised, I gave you the Sword back when I was done with the Hollow." He said with a smirk as his clothes and form had returned to their previous state in a cast of smoke.

"Not _Shinigami_, _Rukia Kuchiki_." She said as she used the sword as a leverage to stand. "Ok, then Rukia.. The name's Tatsuya Yūki." He smirked. But then he looked around. "Wait, hold on.. What the hell.. The house is an absolute mess! What are we gonna do?! We can't afford to rebuild the entire house!" He said in a panic.

But then, he had suddenly stopped as he had passed out, Rukia sighing in relief as she had looked to him. "Don't worry yourself about that.. I'll.. Take care of all of that.." She said as she had finally stood up, holding her shoulder. "To tell the truth.. You've shown me a lot of firsts today.. Tatsuya.." She looked up to the moon.

"It's the first time I've ever seen a human who can see a Shinigami.. A human that can defeat a Hollow.. And a soul capable of making a Zanpakuto.. Reach _that_ large of a size.." She then took a deep breathe. "Whatever that power was just now.. Was it.. What was causing me to lose track of the Hollow..?" She asked herself.

'_Is Tatsuya.. That powerful..?_' She shook her head as she had placed her sword into the ground once more. '_No time for that, now.. I must clear this up before someone witnesses..!_'

* * *

It had been some time later that night. Two suited men with shades had been walking toward a girl in an odd outfit who was standing on the edge of a skyscraper rooftop. "We finally found you.." The black haired one began.

"I wouldn't have possibly imagined you would run away to this _remote area_." He had chuckled, then made a serious face. "Though.. Your games have come to an end here.." She was silent as he pink hair blew in the wind.

"Now it would be best for you to come with us, if you would please.." She then looked up toward them, her emerald green eyes looking at them both with an equally serious face.

* * *

_"You may be wondering.. Why To-Love Ru of all series? Well. Gotta say that.. Even though the protagonist of it is pretty bland.. I still enjoyed every other part of it. Now as for Tatsuya's abilities, they'll be explained at a later timing. I've based them sort of off of Kamen Rider Kuuga's ability to transform objects. Except Tatsuya more has the ability to transform melee type weapons into an upgraded state. At least, that's where his powers will start. You see, that is the **First Mark of Improvement**. The first of Tatsu's powers. So, yeah. Expect more. I mean, considering what I got planned for Tsukune.. And_ especially _Issei during Second Year.. WOOH! He'll need some powers of his own to keep up. Anyways, just like Bleach, the first female badass of Tite Kubo's series to be introduced is Rukia Kuchiki, which I won't have her lose her powers in this one because I have plans. I wanna have Rukia have her own development and stuff. And, just like the To-Love Ru Series, the first girl named was Haruna Sairenji, who now carries Tatsuya's charm.. Though. Does it have more meaning than it looks to have..?_"  
_"Well, anyways. Next time, we'll get the number 1 Trouble-Maker in the Universe taking a step into Tatsuya's life. See ya then!_'  
_\- Red_


	2. A Girl Who Escaped From Ascension

Haruna had been walking her dog at night, hearing a loud noise in the distance. "That's odd.. It doesn't normally get this loud this late at night.." She had then took a step in toward the turn in toward the Yūki Residence. She had then looked with shocked eyes as she had seen.. Some kind of thing.. Destroying the house.

She quickly grabbed her dog, Maron, and hid behind the corner of the closest house, looking to see if was still there. Though she was shocked at what she had seen.

"Yūki..kun..?" She had muttered with wide eyes. Haruna had watched what happened nearby with a look of pure shock and awe.

* * *

Tatsuya had been holding the sword he formed from Rukia's Zanpakuto over his shoulder as he sighed, a Hollow charging toward him. He then looked to Rukia with a brow raised. "Hey, Rukia.. Why the hell are you having _me_ do _your_ job?" His brow twitched as Rukia had been watching from the rooftop nearby, eating popcorn.

"It's a good way for me to understand your abilities." She said with a smile. "Now, go get 'em!" Tatsuya had gained a tick mark.

'_You just don't wanna do it yourself now that I'm around, huh..?!_' He growled as he had turned toward the Hollow, charging forward and slashing toward it again, it's arm separating from the body, and hitting the ground hard. "Damn it.. I'm not gonna be a damn errand boy for you!" He looked to Rukia, who's eyes were sparkling as she was playing with.. "What the?! Did you grab my phone from my body?!" Tatsuya growled.

This growl only grew from seeing that Rukia was sitting on his body's back. "Damn you..!" He then turned his attention to the Hollow as it roared while charging at him wildly. "Bastard! I guess I'll have to take care of you first then!" He swung the sword to the left, slicing through the hollow from the bottom up, piercing through it as it's body had come to be cut in half. It's halve had soon fell back toward the ground, a loud thud coming from it.

"There. I took it out. Now. We've gotta talk about what the hell you're thinking!" He roared at Rukia, who looked at him with a brow raised. "You seem to be handling it just fine." Rukia deadpanned.

"I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO BE _HANDLING _IT AT ALL!" He retorted, Rukia then rubbed her ear. "ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME?!"

"Yeah, yeah.. I hear you.." Rukia was still playing on his phone, then she had blinked with wide eyes as she had gotten a game over. "Ah. I failed the mission.." She shed a tear.

"Tch.." He sighed as he had rolled Rukia off his body, who blinked. "That was a comfortable seat!"

"That _seat_ was my _body_!" He retorted before reentering his body, Tatsuya getting up off the ground and dusting himself off.

He then pointed toward Rukia. "You need to be responsible with _your_ job!" Tatsuya scolded, to which she had looked to him with a pout face. "And you need to understand my motives better."

"I don't want to!" Tatsuya walked over and swiped his phone out of Rukia's hand. "Now quit being lazy and let's go!" He said as he had put his phone in his pocket, walking back toward his house.

* * *

Haruna had been walking to school, pondering over what she had seen the previous night. "Was that.. Really Yūki-kun..?" She asked herself, she had then felt a tug at her side as she looked to see Tatsuki next to her.

"What about Tatsuya? Did he do something to you..?!" She asked worriedly, to which Haruna had shook her head frantically. "N-No, it's not like that at all, Tatsuki.." She looked down.

"Though.."

_"Sairenji.." Tatsuya had swept Haruna off her feet, carrying her bridal style, to which Haruna had gasped in surprise. "Y-Yūki-kun.." She had blushed._

_"I must tell you.." He had leaned closer, their lips nearing. "..that you are the only woman for me.." He had kissed her on the lips, the two making out._

'_I wish it was.. So much.._' Haruna had sighed dreamily, then she had patted her face. '_N-No, no, Haruna, you bad girl!_' She internally scolded herself. "..but it would be amazing.." She was blushing from her thoughts, Tatsuki looking to her with a confused face.

* * *

"TAT!" Tatsuya's door sprung open.

"SU!" Tatsuya turned in his sleep.

"YA!" Saibai had kicked his legs outward, flying toward Tatsuya, who had flipped up and catch him, grabbing his head and pinning him down. "Wrrrryyyyyyy~!"

"Damn it, ya old bastard.. You've got a lot of guts to attack an innocent in their sleep, ya know!" He grit his teeth as Saibai had struggled to form a smirk on his face.

"Not bad.. My son..!" He had chuckled a bit under Tatsuya's palm. "I have.. Nothing.. Left to teach.. You.." Tatsuya had blinked as he then looked at him closely.

"What happened to your injuries?" He asked with a brow raised.

"Injuries? What are you talking about?" Saibai blinked. "When did I get hurt?"

"..huh..?" The teen had thought about his father's response carefully.

* * *

**Through Soul and Body: To Love-Ru  
_Chapter 2: A Girl Who Escaped From Ascension?!_**

_Tatsuya had been staring at his house.. Which had seemed to be completely fixed.. Except for a giant hole in the side of his house. "..what the hell..?"_

_"It's a miracle, isn't it? A truck had crashed into the side of the house and nobody got injured in the end!" Saibai smiled._

_"I find it miraculous that no one was awoken by that.." Tatsuya had turned toward his father with his brow twitching._

_"Ah mou.. Your attitude is why the criminal had gotten away, Dad.." Mikan shook her head. "Oh, by the way, Tatsu. Breakfast is ready." She had then smiled._

_Tatsuya had then looked back to it. '_Did that Shinigami chick.._' The image of Rukia instantly popped into his mind. '_Go back to that Soul Society place..?_'_

Tatsuya had groaned as he was jumping across rooftops on his way to school, his free hand in his pocket while the other carried his bag over his shoulder. '_To be honest.. I would have preferred if that were the case.._' He rolled his eyes. Instead of returning, she said that she couldn't conclude her report until she had come to _understand his abilities_. Which, in his opinion, was absolute crap.

He then looked to his watch, noticing that.. "Aw, damn it, I'm really late!" He had picked up the speed. "Better text Kojima what's up." He pulled out his phone, texting his friend, Mizuiro Kojima, the reasons of why he had been late to school today.. Though, he had then noticed that his Keyboard and Wallpaper were.. Changed to that of cute bunnies?!

"DAMN IT, RUKIAAAAAAAAAAA!" He roared out as he continued leaping.

* * *

Haruna had been staring out the window of the classroom, sighing a bit as she had looked to the Sakura Tree outside. That was the first place that she tried to tell Tatsuya her true feelings, but it all failed because of..

"You know that you shouldn't stare off into space at such a young age, Haruna-chan." Tatsuki had bonked Haruna on the head. "O-Oh, I'm sorry, Tatsuki-chan.. I was just.."

"Man.. Tatsuya's late, huh.. Ah! Were you thinking about him?!" She asked, getting a bit closer to Haruna, who blushed and shook her head. "N-no, not at all, I-I was thinking about how nice a day it is!" Haruna had lied.

"Honestly. I don't see what you like in him." She turned and crossed her arms. "I mean, come on. Say one wrong word and he'll snap at ya, his hair's colored all weird, and he's so absent minded." Haruna had puffed her cheeks as Tatsuki had continued to list Tatsuya's negatives.

"Well, Yūki-kun is a very good person! He only snaps because it's mentioning his grandfather, who he deeply cared about. And he's always been kind to others, and he even fights when the memorials of the dead are tampered with! Plus, he always takes care of the plants when everyone doesn-"

"You sure do know a lot about Tatsuya, Haruna." Two males had their arms crossed while standing next to Tatsuki, which caused her to blush even deeper. "U-Um.." She had no response.

"Only _I _am allowed to watch over Tatsuya!" The first of the two, who had brown hair that was brushed away from his forehead, drooping over to the sides as he had a smirk on his face, this was Keigo Asano, who had been known to all as Tatsuya's.. Stalker.

"What you call _watching over_ is what the rest of society calls _stalking_, Kei." The other had spiked out black hair, despite his cold words, he wore a smile on his face. This boy was Saruyama Kenichi, Tatsuya's Best Friend in Sainan.

"Shut up, Saruyama! You get to be his Best Friend.." He then kneeled and punched the ground in defeat. "Why can't _I_ be Tatsuya's best friend~?!" He reaped.

"Hmm.. Though I enjoy your routines. I'll be honest with you guys.. I doubt Tatsuya'll make it to school today." Another boy had looked to them, his pitch black hair pouring over his head down to his neck. They then both stopped and looked to him.

"What do you mean by that, Kojima?!" They both roared at him, who had sweatdropped. "I just got a text from Tatsuya on the reason he was late.. He said that a truck had hit the side of his house and now there's a huge hole in it."

"W-What, a Truck?!" Haruna gasped, covering her mouth. Tatsuki had then grasped his collar and shook him back and forth. "Did Tatsuya say anything about his condition?! Could he be injured?! Did he send you that text in his-" A bag had smacked her on the back of the head.

"Dying.. Moments.." Tatsuki rubbed her head as she looked up, Tatsuya standing over her with a brow raised. "Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not dead." He said as he set his bag next to his Desk.

"Y-Yūki-kun.." Haruna fidgeted a bit. "U-Um.. G.. Good morning!" She said while blushing. "Well, you seem happy as always." Tatsuya said with a smile, that brought a smile to Haruna's face.

"Mizuiro. You can't go about just freakin' 'em out all the time, ya know." Tatsuya looked to Mizuiro, who shrugged. "Don't look at me on this one, they took a different initiative than I thought they would." Tatsuya had sighed as he sat down.

"Hey, Tatsu. Weren't you fixing your house?" Mizuiro then asked.

"Yeah. What's third period?"

"Contemporary Events."

"Ok. Miss Ochi. She won't ask any annoying questions."

"Oh. You must be Yūki-san!"

Tatsuya felt his skin crawl a bit as he had turned to see that.. Rukia Kuchiki had been sitting in the desk next to him wearing an identical uniform to Tatsuki. "Nice to meet you!"

...

Tatsuya had twitched his brow as Mizuiro slid in front of Rukia, kneeled as he had his hands out like Rukia was some kind of presentation. "Oh. This is our new student, Rukia Kuchiki. It's a pretty weird time for her to transfer, but her family had to move."

Tatsuya's brow was twitching. "Why.. Are you..?" He pointed toward Rukia, while Mizuiro had a puzzled expression. "Huh..? What is it..?"

"Yūki-san. It doesn't seem like I have any of the textbooks I need yet. So if you wouldn't mind, can you lend me some of yours please?" She had let out her hand, revealing what was written in her hand, which was hard for Tatsuya not to notice.

_Even try to make a scene and your so dead._

She tilted her head with an innocent smile, while Tatsuya had twitched his brow even more. '_This lady.. Has to be borderline insane!_'

* * *

"How far are we going?" After that school day, Tatsuya had his hands in his pockets as he Rukia followed him out to the side of the school campus. "What's goin' on in your mind, big boy? This place is so secluded.."

"Don't say stuff like that, it's disgusting."

"Disgusting? How rude. I'll have you know that I spent the whole last night learning colloquialisms! I did a pretty good job, huh?"

"Shut up about your colloquialisms, and explain why the hell you're here!"

"Explain?" Rukia tilted her head in a bit of confusion.

"Damn right. Explain yourself! What the hell are you still doing here? I thought your work here was finished. Why did you sneak into my class? Why haven't you gone back to that Soul Society place of yours already?!"

"Shush. Now I never said my work here was finished, Tatsuya Yūki."

"Huh? Why not?" He raised a brow.

"Because. _You _are also something I must report."

"Wait. What?! Don't involve me in your Shinigami crap! I only cut down one Hollow, and that's it!" Tatsuya had shook his head, he had no interest in the Soul Society getting involved in his life.

"You cut down that Hollow using _my _Zanpakuto. Let's not forget the fact that you are _not _a Soul Reaper, yet you used a Zanpakuto fluently." Tatsuya had raised a brow to that. "It was a sword. Anyone could be able to use a sword."

"Not anyone can use a sword fluently, let alone a Soul Reaper's sword." Rukia had sighed as she crossed her arms. "A Zanpakuto is the weapon of the Soul Reaper that signifies their overall power, as within the sword is a soul of it's own, which gives the Shinigami themselves strength."

"..though. You have changed that. Currently, my Zanpakuto will not respond to my calls. Which comes to make me believe that now it shall only respond to you." Rukia had spoken, patting her chest. "So, as far as I'm concerned, you have indirectly _become _a Soul Reaper. With that. I'll simply have to rely on this _Gigai._"

"Gigai?"

"Yes. A gigai. A temporary body that we Shinigami use whilst inhabiting the Physical World. As you can see, while I haven't my sword, it's best for me to use my gigai to hide myself from the Hollows."

"..ok. So. What does _any _of that have to do with me?"

"Weren't you listening! The whole thing has to do with you!" She took a deep breathe. "Listen. Whilst I am in lack of Shinigami power.. I need you to help fulfill my duties!" Rukia looked toward him with a proud smirk.

"..huh?!"

"What's the problem? You have Shinigami powers now, and I'll even help you!" Rukia shrugged. "Plus, since you got me into this mess, you absolutely _have_ to help me out."

"No. No way." Tatsuya shook his head, turning to walk off.

"Eh?! But why not?"

"I have no interest. I don't want to face any more of those Hollows or whatever you call 'em." He turned to walk off with his hands in his pockets.

"But.. You had.. What happened to yesterday?!"

"_Yesterday_, I fought that thing to save my family." He turned back toward her as he came to a complete stop. "You seriously can't expect me to go around fighting those things for absolute strangers. I'm not that self-sacrificing."

"Sorry to disappoint." Rukia had looked down hearing that as she placed a red glove on her hand. It had sported on the back of it a fiery skull. "Then you leave me without choice." She had ran toward him.

Tatsuya had noticed this and raised a brow. "Hey.. What're yo-" He had no time to respond before her palm clean him him in the chin, her hand passing through his body as he found his soul fling out from his body as he fell onto his butt, while his body hit the ground.

"H-Huh?! Wait. How am I over there?! Wait. Is this.. My soul?! Hey! Me! Wake up!" He got up and shook his body, but to no avail.

"You." Rukia spoke, catching Tatsuya's attention. "Come with me."

* * *

"What are we doin' way out here..?" Tatsuya crossed his arms.

"Just wait. It won't be long now." Rukia had said, looking toward a old phone that had been beeping constantly.

"_What _won't be long?! It's been 20 minutes, Rukia!"

"Do ghosts come to this park?"

"Actually.. There is one." Tatsuya kneeled down and raised his arm outward. "A five year old boy, I think. About this tall. He likes to play in the park around noon. Why?"

"Is he a friend?"

"Just saw him a couple of times. Never actually talked to him, though." Tatsuya shrugged as he stood back up. Rukia handed him the phone.

_Yumizawa Children's Park  
__20M_

_12:00 PM  
\+ or - 15 min_

"What's this?" Tatsuya raised a brow.

"An order. From the Soul Society." Rukia explained. "Within a 20 meter radius of Yumizawa Children's Park, at 12 pm, which is in plus-or-minus 15 minutes, a Hollow will appear." She had kept a calm expression on her face. "And from what you have just explained. I believe that it is likely going to attack the child you just described."

Tatsuya had a shocked expression on his face after this as he heard a loud scream in the distance, quickly turning as did Rukia, looking to see the boy he described running from a Spider-like Hollow.

Rukia held out the sword she had given him that Friday night, Tatsuya looking toward it and going to quickly grab it, but Rukia pulled away a bit.

"It's a complete stranger. Are you sure you wish to help him?"

"Are you insane!? How can I stand here and watch as that thing eats him?!" Tatsuya turned toward her.

"Before your eyes or even out of sight.. They're going to get attacked whether you like it or not." Tatsuya gulped. Turning toward the boy who had fallen to the ground, reaching for the sword again.

"Don't help him!" Rukia had looked toward the boy. "Whether you save him or not. He will _still _get eaten unless you do my job! You said you'd save him just because he's nearby. That's not how that works, Tatsuya Yūki!"

Tatsuya had stopped, his bangs overshadowing his eyes. "A Shinigami must be fair to all spirits! Only saving them when it's convenient is not only cruel, but it won't get the job done! So I shall not even let you near that child to save him unless you are willing to fully commit! To save one, you must save all, do you hear me!?"

"You must be willing to go to any lengths, and even sacrifice _yourself_ for them!" Tatsuya had stopped and widened his eyes, as a sudden blue spark was lit within them.

'_Sacrifice.. Myself..?_' He had begun to remember what he had done before receiving the sword for the first time whilst attempting to fight the Hollow. '_That's right.. I'm.._' Before Rukia knew it, a flash of blue light had swarmed over Tatsuya as he had swiped the sword from her hand and dashed toward the Hollow.

"_What are you..?_" The Hollow questioned before widening it's eyes as it had lost it's leg to the now enlarged blade of the sword in Tatsuya's hand. He now wore the black cloak he wore during his last battle over his 15 shirt.

"Tatsuya.. Have you.. Made your decision..?" The fallen boy had looked up to his savior with a smile, before backing away a bit in shock as the sword has struck the ground.

"Could you shut up already?!" Tatsuya looked toward Rukia. "I'm not buying your self sacrifice and commitment bullshit for a second! I helped him because I was here, plain and simple. The hell are you gonna do about it?!"

"Wha-?"

"What about _you_?!" Tatsuya pointed to her. "If what you're telling me is right. Did you only sacrifice yourself last night because it was a part of your _job_?! Was there nothing more to it?! Well your _job _should have nothing to do with what your willing to sacrifice!" The Hollow had lifted it's other leg to stab at Tatsuya, who had turned swiftly. "At least.."

The blade had soon stabbed straight through the leg as he had jumped, piercing through toward her head. "Not for me!" Tatsuya had failed to notice, but for a swift moment, his entire body had pulsed with a blue aura as he blurred forward a bit straight through the Hollow's head and through his entire body as he lifted the blade upward, cutting through it as blue light flooded out from it's core. He had then slid across the ground as he had used his sword to slow himself down.

"Listen. I'm not ready to make a commitment like that yet.. Hell. Next time, if I feel it's too hectic, I'll make a damn run for it.. I can't and won't promise that I'll just make it a routine that I'll put my life on the line for every stranger that gets attacked.." Rukia had looked to him as the Hollow began to fade into particles, it serving as a border between her and him.

"But.. I do know I owe you a lot, and I'm not a total scumbag. So I'll do my best to help ya with this whole Shinigami thing of yours.. Don't expect me to enjoy it though." He let out a hand toward her as the Hollow had completely faded away, which made her smile.

"Oh ho.. Well then.. All I can say is good luck."

* * *

_"Teacher! Teacher! Tatsuya's passed out!"_

_"H-Huh?! Where?!"_

_Whilst all the action was happening, Tatsuya's body laid on the ground where it was lift, the wind blowing over it._

* * *

Tatsuya had walked out from the infirmary, Rukia following close behind as they had to search the entire school for his body. Something the former had little sentiment for. He had a scowl as she had a confident grin as she seemed to be teasing him, to which he snapped back at her for.

That was all Haruna could see as she was looking over the corner. "Why is he hanging out with the new girl all of a sudden..?" She pouted a bit. She was the one who brought Tatsuya to the nurse when he was found lying around. So why is it that _Rukia_ was the one he was with now?

"Lemme guess. Stalking Tatsu again, Haruna?" Tatsuki walked up behind her with her hands on her hips.

"I-It's not stalking! I'm just making sure my friend is ok!"

"Making sure your _beloved Yūki-kun _is ok." Tatsuki teased, to which Haruna's face turned bright red. "T-Tatsuki.." The girl mentioned had simply laughed.

* * *

Tatsuya now sat back in the bath, looking toward the ceiling. "Man.. I'm beat.. Swinging that sword of hers really does take a lot out of me.."

The singular rubber ducky in the tub had floated around with a serious expression on its face. "Huh.."

_"A Shinigami must be fair to all spirits! Only saving them when it's convenient is not only cruel, but it won't get the job done! So I shall not even let you near that child to save him unless you are willing to fully commit! To save one, you must save all, do you hear me!?"_

"Commit, huh..? Damn. It sounds way too damn complicated for someone like me.." He hadn't noticed as the water began to blinker with a pink light.

"How is she expecting me to fully commit to a job I didn't want to even do in the first place.." He sighed as he he looked down, blinking at the flash of pink light that waved over him before he was blasted in the face by an explosion of water.

"W-What the hell?!" Tatsuya looked around in a panic. "Did the bathtub just ex.." He looked forward and his eyes had taken glimpse of orbs that he would in any other circumstance not be able to see as clearly as he can now. "..plode..?"

A girl with long pink hair and a powerfully curvaceous body had stretched out as water trinkled down her nude body. "Mm~! Yay, escape was a success!" She had then looked down as Tatsuya was slowly turning more red as he had been incapable of taking his eyes off her chest. "Hm?" Was the last tick of Tatsuya's head bomb as it had exploded in steam as he had yelled out.

"GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Upon that, Mikan had ran up and threw the bathroom door open in shock. "What's wrong, Tatsu?!" She asked in deep concern as Tatsuya crawled out of the bathroom with steam running off his head.

"There's.. A.. Naked girl.. In the tub.."

Mikan went into the bathroom to confirm his statement, looking back to him with a bored expression. "Can't see it. Might just be one of your ghosts again." She began to walk off.

"W-Wha?!" He looked back into the bathroom, Mikan was right.. She wasn't there. "Am I seeing things..?" He shook his head as he had grabbed his clothes.

* * *

Rukia had been walking through Sainan whilst looking around. She looked into the bag she carried on her side, she still carried all of the supplies she had obtained from the Soul Society, luckily.

Now her destination was afoot. In front of her was what seemed to look like an average backdoor shop. "..I hate to have to rely on _him_ of all people, but.." She sighed as she walked toward the doorway.

* * *

Tatsuya had rubbed his head with a towel, now wearing boxers and a black shirt. He had sighed.

"Jeez.. If that _was_ just a fantasy.. I think I'm losing it." He sighed as he opened his door.

"Oh, hey! I'm borrowing your towel~" He looked onto his bed to see the woman he had witnessed before waving to him and kicking her legs. Though. What he had observed was that that only thing protecting her private areas from his eyes was one of his bath towels. He said nothing as he quickly backed away into the corner with steam rising out of his ears and a mad blush over his face.

"W-W-W-W-W-W-W-Who even _are _you?!" He struggled to complete his sentence as he had covered his eyes, attempting to avert his gaze upon the woman's body.

"Me? Oh. I'm Lala." She had stood up from the bed with a smile.

"Lala.. Huh..?" He looked away, crossing his arms. "That doesn't explain what you're doing in my room." He regained his composure once he had taken his eyes out of her direction.

"Simple. I came to this planet from Planet Deviluke!"

"That would have to make you an alien.." Tatsuya looked to her in disbelief, but then quickly turned away with a blush once he glanced a quick reminder of why he hadn't been looking at her in the first place.

"For you Earthlings, I guess you'd be right." Lala tapped her chin.

Tatsuya had responded, looking over a bit. "Doesn't look like you believe me.." She had then turned around, lifting up the towel. Though, all Tatsuya's eyes caught was enough to make him choke on his words in response. "Then you should look at _this_!"

Sprouting from above her bottom had been a black tail that curled around while wiggling. It's end being shaped like an upside down heart. "If I'm right, Earthlings don't have tails like these, do they?" She said with a cheeky grin, while Tatsuya had quickly covered his eyes back up. "But.. Unfortunately. Even though I have a tail, it doesn't make me able to transform when I look at the full moon.."

"OK! OK! I believe you! You don't have to show me anymore!" Tatsuya turned toward the wall, his entire face now a bright red.

"Aww.. Why're ya blushing? That's so adorable~!" She tilted her head a bit with a smile as she looked to his face, which Tatsuya responded by puffing his cheeks.

"That still doesn't answer the question of why you suddenly appeared in my bathtub just a moment ago.." Tatsuya had turned toward her.

"It's because of this!" She showed her arm, which carried on her wrist a silver bracelet that had rung around to form the ears of the bunny that had been carved on the front of it.

"And what's tha-"

"It's my invention, Pyon Pyon Warp-kun! Even though I can't specify a destination, it makes pretty handy for any living unit to travel any short distance!"

"Did you say war-"

"Yes, I did!" The soccer ball next to Tatsuya's bookshelf rolled a bit, revealing a few pictures of him, Issei, and Tsukune as kids. Namely the former and latter attempting to stop Issei from lunging at the school nurse, and saving Issei from an army of female students that had caught him trying to peep them in early Middle School.. Good times. "I used it in the spaceship I was in's bathroom and ended up appearing in your house's bathtub as a result!"

"Hold on.. Did you say spaceship..? If you were there, then why would you need to warp to get to places?" Tatsuya cocked an eyebrow.

"Well.." Lala had rubbed her bracelet. "It's because I'm being chased."

"Chased..?"

"Yes. I thought that if I came to Earth, I would be safe from my pursuers. But. They had followed me here." She doodled a picture of a tiny spaceship on his whiteboard.. Why do random girls that appear in his room keep using his whiteboard? "Once they got a hold of me, I was about to be taken onto their ship.. If I hadn't used bracelet I probably would have.."

Tatsuya tuned her out once he had remembered the current situation. THIS GIRL WAS NAKED IN HIS ROOM. NEAR HIS BED!

"A-Anyway. You just hurry up and get outta here, then!" Tatsuya turned with his arms crossed and a hue of red over his face.

"Lala-sama~" The two had then turned as flying in from his window was a small creature that appeared like it was wearing a white jacket with yellow edges, with a blue shirt and red tie in-between and had devilish wings on its back. "Are you alright, Lala-sama?!"

"Hold on, what is that thi-"

"Peke!" Lala popped her head in front of Tatsuya, who had been clearly annoyed with how much this girl seemed to love to interrupt him. She had hugged the tiny person tightly, who had done so in kind, with a cheerful smile on her face. "I was worried you wouldn't be able to escape safely! I'm so happy~!"

"It was a lucky thing the ship wasn't outside of the Earth's atmosphere!"

Tatsuya had twitched a brow as he felt like he was completely forgotten. Which had made Peke turn and point toward him. "Lala-sama. Who is this dull looking person?"

'_DULL?!_' Was the thought that roared in Tatsuya's mind as he was about two seconds away from walking over and beating up the thing.

"Oh. That's the person who lives here, uh.." Lala looked to him. "Ah. I haven't really asked your name yet, have I..?"

"Oh, me?" He had calmed down a bit. "The name's Tatsuya Yūki."

"Tatsuya.. Hm. That doesn't really feel like it rings there.." Tatsuya blinked to Lala's response. "I think I'll just call you Rito."

"Rito?"

"Oh, yes, Lala-sama. That is a perfect name for this dull one."

"I'm not dull!" Rito grit his teeth. "Who even are you?"

"Oh. This is Peke, my all-purpose costume robot." Lala explained. Peke raised a hand whilst in Lala's arms. "Nice to meet ya."

"Costume robot..?" He was not prepared for the towel that flew in his face, which had been blown out of the way by the powerful exhale of shock Rito released. "WHAT THE HELL DID YOU TAKE OFF THE TOWEL FOR?!" He looked away as Lala bent down to Peke.

"You know what to do." Peke nodded. "Understood!"

"ARE YOU GUYS EVEN LISTENING TO ME?!"

"_**CHANGE! DRESS FORM!**_" Rito had opened his eyes to be flashed over by a bright light that had cleared with Lala wearing out outfit that resembled Peke's regular appearance, with her head as a huge hat with devilish wings on the sides.

"Tada~!" Lala had posed with a wink. Rito had blinked as he had barely grasped a hold of what just happened before him.

"_Lala-sama. It's not too tight, is it?_" Lala shook her head, Peke speaking to her from the hat.

"Nope. It's perfect, Peke." She said with a smile whilst patting her chest. "It's a good thing you came so quickly! Without you, I wouldn't have any clothes!" She looked to Rito. "Doesn't my outfit look nice, Rito?!" She spun around to showcase her new attire, to which Rito sweatdropped.

"Uh.. Yeah.." On the inside, he could only think about how embarrassing it would be for literally _anyone else _to wear such clothing.

"_Oh, by the way, Lala-sama. What do you plan on doing from here?_" Peke asked.

Lala put her finger on her cheek with a smirk. "Well, on that topic, I have a few ideas." She hadn't noticed the wind that blew from the window as the two men from before had swooped in from the window around her, both straightening their shades whilst standing.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" Was all Rito could say as he noticed the two had tails exactly like Lala's as they glanced toward the pink haired alien before them.

"Goodness. It would seem we are dealing with a rather troublesome lady here." The blonde had crossed his arms. "I knew I should have restricted your movements to the point where you wouldn't even be able to wiggle out. Just until we left Earth, anyway." Lala had cringed a bit at the thought of what he said, backing away a bit.

"Hey, Peke.."

"_Y.. yes, Lala-sama?_"

"If I'm not mistaken. I had specifically told _you _to be careful of people following you, correct?" She closed her eyes and twitched her brow.

"_Yes, you did.._"

"UGH! This is all your fault, ya stupid robot! You should've heeded my warnings, but nooooooo! You had to go and screw that up! Now everything is going down the drain!" Lala flailed her arms out in anger.

"_Sorry, Lala-sama.._"

Huh. Rito felt bad for the robot. Though. He had looked to the men before him. Those guys looked pretty tough. There was no doubt in his mind that they were the "pursuers" she mentioned. His next thought. How was Lala going to handle them..?

"So, now that you got some fresh air and stretched your legs out.." The two popped their necks. "Are you prepared now?"

"_Lala-sama, why not use the bracelet?_" Peke asked. Lala shook her head. "Can't. Once I use it once, it takes a whole day to recharge.. I wasn't really expecting them to catch up to me so quickly." Lala had no time to respond before her wrist was tightly grasped by one of the two.

"Come on. We're leaving." He said, but Lala shook her head. "NO! I'm not going anywhere with you!"

Rito had blinked as he looked to them trying to pick up Lala, who had kicked and pulled to break free. Why was this happening in his room.. A serious situation like that had no business happening in front of him.. They were messing up his carpet with their dirty shoes too.. Damn it..

* * *

Mikan sweatdropped as she could barely hear the TV with the sound of stomping right over her head. "What is Tatsuya doing up there..? He's really noisy.."

* * *

Rito looked to the side to see a baseball glove and a soccer ball. He had an idea.

He had thrown the baseball glove toward the man who had been in front of Lala, leaping forward and slamming his elbow into the glove, jabbing the man into the wall. While running over and kicking the Soccer Ball into the face of the other, which caused him to tumble over.

"Come on, you!" Rito ran over and grasped Lala's hand, pulling her with him as he jumped out the clearly open window.

"Rito..?" She had looked to him with a confused face as they were now running across the rooftops of the neighborhood. "Why?"

"How the hell should I know?!" Rito had looked forward. "I guess it was cause I was watchin' a situation where a girl was about to get kidnapped by two shady lookin' guys, and I wasn't about to just shut up and let some crap like that happen!" Lala had silently taken in what he had said with a look of wonder.

* * *

Haruna had been walking with Marron again as she had looked around at all the houses that surrounded them. Upon looking over, she had seen someone running across the rooftops.

"Could that be.. A thief?!" But, when she looked closer, he recognized who it was. "Yūki-kun?" She was confused as to what she had seen.. Who was the girl that he was running with..?

* * *

"UUUUUUOOOOOOOGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The black haired man had lifted from the ground a delivery truck that had a cargo on the back of it that seemed to be loaded from the rattling within it. This had been in his hands for a short time before he quickly threw it over head as it flew toward Rito and Lala.

'_OH SHIT!_' A statement that raced through Rito's mind as it approached him, he looked to Lala and quickly came to a stop before they would run into its landing point.

"Do not interfere.. Earthling." The two had walked up behind them with a cold stare. They were a lot stronger than Rito originally thought. What made matters worse was that the only path was completely sealed up. He then turned as they came closer.

"Don't you come any closer!" He grit his teeth as he had reached out. "Ruki-!" He then realized.. Rukia wasn't with him. Why is it that the one time he actually wants her around, she's gone?! He twitched his brow at this.

"Lala-sama." The two had averted the gaze of Rito. "Please stop attempting to run away from home."

"I don't wanna!" Lala crossed her arms.

"Yeah she doesn't want to." Rito then processed what they said. "Wait. RUN FROM HOME?!" He turned toward Lala.

"I've had about enough of this!" Lala had stomped her foot. "I don't care if I'm some successor or whatever you're saying! I'm tired of having future husband candidates thrown in my face every single day!"

Rito had been completely dumbfounded. This was _all _about her running away from home.. _Seriously_?! "But, Lala-sama.. This is your father's will." The two men attempted to protest.

"I don't _care _about Daddy's will!" She had pulled out a cellular device, pressing on the tenth button. "_**TRANSMIT! GO VACUUM-KUN!**_" Rito had looked with awe as a gigantic squid-like machine floating down over them.

"Oh crap..! One of Lala-sama's inventions have been summoned..!" The two men had looked with wide eyes as wind blew from the spot the machine floated down.

Vacuum-kun had looked toward the two. "Alright, Vacuum-kun! Go suck 'em up!" He flew over toward them whilst opening up their bottom hatch as it began to suck them in.

"W-Woah.. It really is a vacuum.." Rito had been watching what transpired before him. "Wait. Hold on.." He looked over to the side, seeing the benches around him and they flew into Vacuum-kun's bottom hatch. "H-Heeeeeeeeeeeeeyyyyyyy!" Rito had been pulled into the machine. "IF YOU DON'T MIND.. COULD YOU TURN THIS OFF?!"

Lala had floated over the scene with her arms crossed. "_What is it, Lala-sama..?_" She then began to tap her chin. "How _do _I turn Vacuum-kun off..?"

Rito had a tick mark grow on his head. "YOU _DON'T _KNOW HOW TO STO-" He was then sucked into the vacuum, Vacuum-kun widening its eyes before glowing brightly.

A large explosion had sent a warm wind all over Sainan that night.

* * *

Rito had walking towards the High School with one hand in his pocket. "Damn that woman.." He groaned as a bandage was wrapped around his head. "Yesterday was awful.. I'd rather have had to go hunt Hollows for Rukia, damn it.." He sighed as he scratched the back of his head.

Watching from afar was a bespectacled teenager of average height and slender build with straight, chin-length black hair framing both sides of his face, and is fair-skinned with blue eyes. He had been wearing the Sainan High school uniform along with a tie. He had straightened his glasses and watched as he walked by.

"Tatsuya Yūki.. I hear you are a Soul Reaper.." The teen looked to the sky, the light from the sun filling his eyes. "That's good.. Very good."

**\- END -**

* * *

_"Just like how it was in the original Bleach manga, Tatsuya had come across Shinigami power, or rather a variation of it, on a Friday night. Though in this one, instead of her powers being "taken" by Tatsuya, Tatsuya has unintentionally interrupted her connection with her Zanpakuto. Although, Tatsuya finds out that she's not the only crazy new encounter he'll come to meet when Lala Satalin Deviluke, who turns out to be the Princess of the Universe, shows up.. In his bathtub?! Not only that, but.. She's got a hot pursuit on her! Tatsuya, finding himself powerless without Rukia's blade, desperately attempts to escape them."  
__"Tatsuya is Rito. The point of him is for Tatsuya to basically be Rito with his personality more toward Ichigo's, which is why I have Tatsuya's nickname, or one of them, be Rito. Also, the pre-Soul Society Arc is goin' to be _short_. I repeat. _SHORT_. I'm going to tighten the story up mostly because I honestly feel that it is really only an introduction to the main characters of Bleach. More like the starting of the whole Avengers gathering sequence."  
\- Red_


	3. The Troubles Space Bring (1)

_"Hmm.." A man who had greyish hair and blue eyes was standing atop a building, watching over the streets as cars drove by. The cape that hung over the back of his demonic armor that was over his black combat uniform that had gold highlights and red aesthetics._

_"So. The planet Earth is just as underdeveloped as I had been told." He tapped his chin as he looked to the sky, looking at the moon. This man was Planet Deviluke's Royal Family Guard: Zastin._

_"Well.. According to my men, Lala-sama is occupying this planet currently.." He had then turned toward the edge. "I shall ask her to return at once.. Even with a little force."_

_Zastin had jumped off the rooftop, his cape flapping in the wind as he dropped down toward the darkness._

* * *

_"Let's get married, Rito!" Lala had tackle hugged Rito tightly, who had been trying to push her off. "O-Oi, I can't breathe!"_

_"But I love you~"_

_"I doubt you even know what that word means!" Rito had continuously struggled to detach himself from her, Peke sweatdropping whilst in her hairclip form on Lala's head._

_"Rito~ Don't be such a downer, it'll be fine~!" Lala had tried to hug him tighter, much to Rito's chagrin._

_"Uh.. Yuki-kun..?" The two turned to see Haruna standing there, watching the two's squabble._

_"O-Oh, uh.. Hey, Sairenji." Rito had sweatdropped. "You didn't see what just happened here, did you..?" She had nodded, which had caused Rito to gulp._

_"I-Is it true that you're going to be marrying her, Yuki-kun?!" She looked up to him. Which had immediately caused Rito to shake his head._

_"No-"_

_"Yep! Rito is the only one for me~" Lala grabbed onto his once free arm._

_"Oh.." Haruna had stepped back, looking down to the ground with a hand at her chest, clutching her shirt tightly. "Well.. Congratulations.." She had walked off, which had caused Rito to drop his jaw._

_"O-Oi! Sairenji..!"_

* * *

Rito had his chin in his palm as he had his elbow on his desk, sighing.

"Man.. Two pains just show up outta nowhere.." He groaned as he had looked toward where Rukia sat. He had noticed that she was gone, warranting him to raise a brow.

"Where the hell has she gone, huh..? She's been gone for a straight two days.."

His thoughts were interrupted by the growl of his stomach. Rito grabbed his bag and reached into it. He then blinked as he noticed something was missing. He then looked inside of it and confirmed his suspicion.

"Where's my lunchbox..?" Rito groaned. He was planning on eating it and going to explain to Haruna about his situation. Did he leave it at home..? No. He was _sure _that he put it in his bag this morning. "I really hope it's not.."

He remembered what happened this morning. "..damn it!" He facepalmed. '_I must've dropped it when I tried to get away from Lala this morning.._'

"TATSUYAAAAAAAA!" He looked to the door as both Keigo and Saruyama burst through the door and were in front of him within seconds.

"U-Uh.. What's goin' on, guys..? You look like you've seen ghosts.." He sweatdropped.

They both took a deep breathe, releasing their words in their exhale. "THERE'S A CUTE AS HELL CHICK WALKING AROUND SCHOOL LOOKING FOR YOU!"

* * *

"Who's that..?" A female student had asked, blinking.

"What a crazy outfit.." A male student nudged his shoulder to his friend. "Is that any kind of cosplay you've seen?"

"No, but.. Who gives a damn.." His face became red.

"She's really frickin' hot!" All the males in the hall had gawked at Lala, who seemed to be looking for something.

"Ritooooo!" Lala called out while walking through the school hallway. "Where are you?"

"Come out, Ritooooooo!" The line of men that had been drooling a bit as they watched her. "Heeeeeey!" They took a sniff of her hair and were sent back into the wall.

'_Hah. None of these Earthlings can handle Lala's beauty.._' Peke chuckled internally. '_Well, it's an undeniable fact. Lala-sama had inherited her beauty from the late Queen Deviluke, who was known as the Most Beautiful in the Universe._'

She had then stopped as two male students had stepped in front of her.

"Hoo boy. You are pretty." The blonde on the left had smirked. "Are you from the Drama Club."

"We would be glad to help you look for this Rito guy." The male with the afro on the right had smirked as well.

Lala gasped in excitement. "Really?!"

"LALA!" The three had turned their heads as she saw Rito standing at the stairs, his brow twitching as he wasn't expecting her to be there.

"What're you doing here..? I said stop pulling your pranks and go home, damn it.."

Lala had then smiled as she fully turned away from the two and ran over to him. "Rito~!" She jumped and hugged onto him. "I found you~!" She had lifted her hand. "Lookie here! I brought this for you~!"

"Huh." Rito had saw that she was carrying a lunch box. '_So. I definitely did drop it back then._'

"Hey, Tatsuya." Rito had turned back, realizing that Keigo and Saruyama had stood there with a mass of male students behind them. He gulped.

"Yeah.. Keigo?"

"Who's the chick.. And what's your relationship with her.." Saruyama spoke up.

'_Shit._' Rito had his bangs overshadowed his eyes as he thought about this. '_How exactly _am_ I going to respond.. If I flat out say she's an alien, I don't think that would have the best outcome.._'

"Oh, me?" Lala had grasped onto Rito's arm, pressing it against her chest. "I'm Rito's Bride! " Rito had blinked as he looked to Lala.

"Wait.. Rito.." Keigo had dropped his jaw.

"You have Haruna-chan.. And.."

Rito had twitched his brow.

"Rito and I are going to get married~!"

"I thought I told you to quit going around saying that. I never agreed to getting married with anyone!"

"But, Rito.. You said that you loved me.. Are you saying that was a lie..?" Lala had placed her hand on her mouth. This had caused Rito to sweatdrop as all the males watching had gasped dramatically at this scene.

"GEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIM!" Rito had gulped as he quickly grabbed onto Lala's arm and pulled her as he ran off into the distance.

"Damn you, Ritoooo!" Keigo screamed. "How dare you get a cute girl before meeeeeee!" Added Saruyama.

"Hey, Rito, they all look really angry.." Lala commented. "It's because of you!" Rito spouted back as they continued to run.

'_Damn it! The hell is this happening right now for?!_' He screamed out in his mind.

* * *

Haruna had grasped her chest as she stared into her locker as she was changing out of her gym clothes. Though there was a lot of chatter going on around the room, it hadn't reached her ears. She had been deep in thought about what had been transpiring in the previous week.

'_Yuki-kun has been spending time with that Rukia girl lately.._' Her face became grim. '_But.. That one girl.._'

'_"Let's get married, Rito~!"_' The image of Lala hugging onto Rito was burned into her memory.

'_Who.. Who is she..? And how does she know Yuki-kun..?_' She clutched it tighter.

"Yo, Haruna! You haven't changed yet?" She looked over to see Tatsuki and another girl waving toward her.

"Ah, no. Sorry. You guys can go ahead." Haruna said with a smile. But, after seeing them walk off, she turned back to her locker, her frown returning. '_Just who is she.._'

* * *

"UWWWWWWWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Rito had continued to run, making his way toward the opposite direction of the army chasing behind him, with Lala holding on tightly while on his back. But, he then skitted to a halt as he saw a wall.

"Damn it, a dead-end!" Rito had gulped and turned, seeing that the army had been charging toward them. "Hey, Lala, can you do something?!"

"Something?" She looked at him obliviously.

"You have all those cool gadgets! There's gotta be something in your toolkit for us to get out of here with!" Rito had then widened his eyes at the realization. "Oh yeah! You have that bracelet thing! Your something-something-warp-kun, right?!"

"Oh, you mean Pyon-Pyon Warp-Kun?"

"Yeah, yeah! You use that!" Rito looked to Lala.

"Hmm.. We can use that.. _But_. Since we are getting married, I can live with you starting today, right?" Lala looked to the panicking Rito.

"Wha-?! Are you joking?! No way!"

"Eh~? There's no way I'm using it, then."

"Tch.. All right, fine! Just get it working already!"

"Hm, all right! It's a promise~" Lala had pulled out her phone, summoning the Pyon-Pyon Warp-Kun, placing it on her wrist with a bright grin as she had grasped Rito's hand. "Peke, please take care of this!"

"Hurry it up!" Rito had seen the horde of male students charging at him.

"Let's go! _**WARP**_!" Peke had stated as the bracelet had activated, enveloping the two in a bright light.

The males had all come to a stop when they had only seen that a male's school uniform had been the only thing to remain.

"..huh?" Keigo and Saruyama said in unison.

"Did they just.." Keigo started.

"Disappear?" Saruyama blinked.

* * *

"Urgh.. It's so dark in here.. Where.. are we?"

"I dunno. Pyon-Pyon Warp-Kun is meant specifically for emergency use, so I can't really pinpoint a destination.."

A locker had slapped open next to Haruna, the girl yelping as she had then looked wide-eyed at what she saw.

A nude Rito had been lying on the ground, a fellow nude Lala standing over him, the two's eyes locked on the other's. Rito had then looked down a bit to realize that they.. Were both lacking.. Clothes. Rito had yelped out as he crawled away from Lala in fear. "AGHoadkwidbPWDIOANGOJNPKON-!" Rito had struggled to form his words. He wasn't good with nude women.

"You didn't know? Pyon-Pyon Warp-Kun can only teleport living matter!" Lala chimed.

"Of course I wouldn't know! You should have said that earli-"

"Yuki-kun..?" He knew who's voice that was. He turned around to see Haruna was covering herself. "Why were you inside a locker..? With that girl..? Like.. That..?"

Rito had no way to express how embarrassed he was as the color began to drain from his face. He wished Rukia would just show up and knock his Soul out of his body so he could get away from this situation.

"Oh! You're that one girl from earlier this morning!" Lala smiled.

"Whatever you think is going on here.. Let me just tell you.. That that's not it." Rito said, trying to get up to crawl away.

Haruna had looked down. Her mind exploded. As her ears had released steam and her face became red, she had quickly thrown out her hand, hitting Rito right across the face.

"STAY AWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!"

* * *

Haruna laid in her bed, hugging her pillow tightly. She was silent as she had listened to the sounds of the night outside her window. She took one look over to the corner of her eye.

What she had saw was a picture of her Middle School Class, where Rito had been on the picture as well. She couldn't take her eyes off of his image..

She soon buried her face into the pillow.

* * *

"Aw cheer up, Rito.."

Lala had been playing on Rito's console, as the latter had rubbed his cheek while sitting on his bed.

"Easy for you to say, you weren't the one who got _slapped_!"

Lala had then smiled. "Wow, these Earthling video games are really fun!"

"Man.. Why can't you just go home already.."

Lala and Rito had then turned with blank faces as the closet door slammed open, seeing Rukia sitting in there wearing one of Mikan's pajama outfits. "I heard an unfamiliar voice out here, Tatsuya, I wanted to see if-" Rukia hopped out, looking to Lala.

"Who are you?" They both said in unison.

"..god. The troublemakers have met.." Rito sweatdropped. The hand mark on his cheek blinking red.

* * *

_**Through Heart and Soul: To-Love**_** _Ru  
_Chapter 3 | The Troubles Space Bring, Part 1**

* * *

"Wow.. The slap from yesterday is completely gone." Rito had rubbed the side of his face, the mark completely faded.

Rukia took a bite of her sweet bun, gulping it down with a smirk on her face. "Surprised, huh?" Rukia had proudly stated. "Well, I did have the best grades in my Kido Class, so healing that slap was as easy as bending my finger."

"Grades? You mean that you had, like, some kind of Shinigami school, or somethin'?" Rukia had shrugged to Rito's question.

"Something like that."

"Hey.. Where were you yesterday..?" Tatsuya looked to Rukia, who had only looked to him with an innocent face.

"I was attending to matters that you'd need not worry about." Rukia's oddball response was enough for Tatsuya to know it really wasn't something to wrack his brain over. He sighed and took a bite of his rice ball. He had then turned as Rukia had a juiceball held up in his face.

"How do I go about drinking this?"

"You just poke the straw through the hole.."

She had gasped. "Are you serious?! What kind of sorcerer came up with this?!"

"None.. It was just created by regular people.." He shook his head.

Rukia had then turned to him. "Are we going to talk about that girl with the pink hair?"

"Nope."

"Are you in a relationship with her?"

"Hell no!"

"Then why do you refuse to speak of her."

"'Cause she causes me trouble left and right.. And I'm worried she'll pop up at the mere mention of her name." Rito had groaned.

"You two always meet up here on the roof during lunch. You guys must be in love or something." They turned to see Mizuiro carrying his own lunch.

"Mizuiro.." Rito blinked as he then grasped a Taiyaki from his lunchbox, taking a quick bite. "Does this look like love to you?"

"I dunno.. But. You can continue to deny it all you want. People are still gonna talk about you two." Mizuiro commented.

'_You have no idea.._' He's already heard several people talking about when Lala showed up the other day. He then sat back against the railing. "Well, whatever. If I cared about what people thought about me, then I would've dyed my hair black a long time ago."

"I guess you're right." Mizuiro smiled to that as he sat next to him, he then looked to Rukia. "Hey, Rukia!"

Rukia had then stopped from meddling with her juice box and looked to Mizuiro. "Oh, hello there.. Um.. Mi..zu..i..ro..?" Rukia had guessed.

"Wow! You actually got it right, even though we've never introduced!" Mizuiro put up a peace sign. "I'm Mizuiro Kojima, 15 years old. Delightful to meet you. My hobby is-"

"Picking up chicks?"

"W-Wait, what?! It's not that!" Mizuiro looked to Rito with his eyes full of shock.

"You'd might want to watch out, Rukia. He may look like a dork, but he's secretly a total player." Rito jabbed his thumb toward Mizuiro.

"Stop it! You're ruining my rep here. Plus, I only go for older woman." Mizuiro sighed. "I'm harmless to girls my age, man."

"Like I said. Be careful." Mizuiro may not know, but Rito already knows that Rukia is over 100 years old.

"What are you talking a-"

"Forget it."

"Yo, mind if I join you guys?" Keigo had walked to the group carrying his lunchbox.

"'Ey, Keigo."

"Is Chad not here..?" Keigo looked around.

"Chad? Nah, we haven't seen him."

"That's weird.. Where else could he be, then..?" Keigo tapped his chin.

Then, suddenly, Keigo was shoved out of the way by the foot of another male, this one having spiked up orangish hair.

"Ow man! What.."

"..the.." Keigo realized who was standing there.

"..fu.." He hadn't finished as he gulped first.

"'Ey, Yuki.." The male had several rings pierced over his lips and ears.

"Oshima.. Y-you're off suspension.." Keigo positioned himself back up, but Oshima had pulled him aside.

"My business ain't with you.. Yuuki, when the hell are you gonna dye that carrot-piss hair of yours black already and quit lookin' like me, huh?" He questioned while gritting his teeth.

"I've been tryin' ta make ya understand for a good while now that this is my natural hair color, and I don't look anything like you." Rito crushed his empty juice box, a tick mark appearing over his cheek. "Now why don't you fly away, ya damn Drag Queen, before ya really tick me off.."

"The hell did you just call me?!" Oshima had stepped toward Rito.

"W-Woah, hey!" Keigo had slid between them. "Let's, uh, not fight at all, ok?"

"Get the hell out of my way, Asano! I'm going to kill that bastard!"

"L-Let him live, Oshima! Everybody here knows you're the toughest around! No one can beat ya-"

"Hell no. I can stomp this bastard into next week." Rito stood with his arms crossed.

"Tatsuya~ How about you _shut up_ and let me _save your life_~!"

"You..!" Oshima had backed up and reached into his blazer's inner pocket. "I always knew I'd have to set you straight one day, Yuki..!" He had then pulled his hand out from the blazer to reveal that he had been wearing a brass knuckle. "Now let's see _who_'ll be stomping _who_!"

"W-Wait, Oshima! Why do you have a brass knuckle!?" Keigo questioned.

"Well, Yuki.. It's too late to apologize.." He had stepped to run toward them but, with a loud _fwoosh_ he was sent through the air. "..now..?" He had then hit the ground and tumbled across the ground into the other side of the roof. "OOF-!"

"Holy hell.." Keigo and Rito looked to what had caused Oshima to fly off, seeing a familiar figure. "C-Cha.."

"Chad!" Keigo had exclaimed as the teen in question had simply raised his bandaged hand as a greeting.

"Mm." Was his response.

"You shouldn't of hit 'im that hard, ya coulda killed him! But.. Thank you." Chad gave the same response.

Rito had then looked to Chad's hand. The bandage around his hand had been pretty thick. He knew Chad was a cluts, but he's never seen Chad with that much bandages around his hand. "Hey, Chad.. How'd you hurt your hand?"

Chad had looked to them. "Yesterday it was my back.. An I-Beam fell on me."

"DID YOU JUST SAY AN I-BEAM?!" Mizuiro, Rito, and Keigo exclaimed in unison.

"And today I hurt my hand while at the grocery store.. I hit it when I ran into a motorcycle."

"You've gotta be a lot more careful, dude!"

"Well, you see.. The guy who was on the bike got hurt real bad.. So I carried him to the hospital." Chad had explained, which caused both Keigo and Rito to sweatdrop.

"I.. I guess that's a reason to be late, huh.."

"Are you made of steel?!"

They then noticed what Chad had been carrying in his other hand. A black strap that had been attached to a bird cage. "Huh..? Is that a parakeet ya got there..?"

"Hello there! My name is Yuichi Shibata. What's your name?"

Rito had widened his eyes in realization as he heard the bird speak.

"Whoa.! That's amazing! He can really talk, huh?!" Keigo had kneeled down to the bird cage while Chad set it down. "My name's Keigo Asano! Can you say _Keigo_?"

"Chad.. Where'd you get that Parakeet..?"

Chad had blinked, but then tapped his chin. "Yesterday.."

"..." Rito raised a brow, Rukia then perking up.

"..a guy gave it to me."

"Damn it, Chad! Tell us the whole story!" Keigo roared. "Don't be lazy! Spill it! Tell us _everything_!"

"That _was _the whole story."

"You must think I'm stupid!"

Rito had been watching the parakeet carefully. "Don't worry." He then turned his attention to Rukia. "There is something inside the bird, but it is most definitely harmless. Probably just a lonely soul."

Rukia had then put her attention toward the parakeet. "Though, we can't leave it. It'll eventually become a Hollow. We should perform a Konso tonight."

Rito had nodded then turned his attention back to his friends. "Damn it.. Another night without sleep.." He groaned

"Don't complain!" Rukia had chimed in. '_He became worried for the safety of the others as soon as he felt the soul's presence.. I think the meaning of being a Shinigami is beginning to finally sink in with him.._'

Chad had been feeding a crumb to the parakeet, who had happily accepted it.

* * *

Rito had been standing at a hill, looking at the river that ran just a few meters away with his hands in his pockets. He would take in a deep breathe as the wind blew in his hair.

How did his life become like this? Not only does he basically have to do a lazy Shinigami's dirty work, but he has to deal with the pranks of some alien princess from _who knows _where. Why wouldn't they have just gone home? Well, he understood that Rukia explained that she lacked the spiritual power necessary to do so, but Lala is.. Oh, right. She would be forced into marriage if she did. Yes, he personally felt that would be wrong, but still, damn it!

"Ritoo!" Lala would wave, walking over to him as she had looked out to what he had been staring at.

"What's up, Lala?"

"I wanted to check up on you. You haven't come home yet and Mikan's already started dinner." Lala chimed.

"Is that right? Well. I guess I'll be there to eat." Rito had not looked away from what he had been staring at, wanting to be left in his thoughts as he had been trying to figure out a balance he could create between it all.

Lala had noticed the seriousness in his eyes, stepping forward.

"What's wrong, Rito? Is it because of what happened at your school the other day?"

"No. It's not that."

"Then, what is it..?"

Rito had then turned to Lala suddenly, looking her in the eyes. "Are you really planning on living in my house..?"

Lala blinked, then smiled. "Well, of course. You did say that it was ok, right?"

"I mean.. That was more of a heat of the moment kind of thing."

"But married couples typically live in the same abode; this is common on Earth, too, right?"

"Well, I never said I was marrying _anyone_ yet, so quit sayin' stuff like that! Besides, that's not my damn point." Rito had turned, clicking his tongue in annoyance. This girl had one mindset, didn't she? He sighed. "I'm just askin' why it's gotta be me. Hell, I haven't even said one good thing about you yet, and you're still in high hopes of getting married with me." He also kept in mind that she was a liability that could have him end up in the hospital from getting jumped by plenty of woman who he would accidentally teleport to in the nude.

"I can see that you don't like me, Rito.." Lala would place her hand over her mouth.

"Haven't found a reason to yet, so.."

"I can live with that."

"NO! YOU SHOULDN'T BE ABLE TO, DAMN IT!" Rito had been left dumbfounded as he sweatdropped.

"_Lala-sama.._" Lala looked up to her hat, which had been where Peke spoke from. "Hm?"

"_I believe I'm now aware of what you're trying to do.._"

"Eh? What're you talkin' about, Peke?"

"Yeah, fess up, what _are_ you talkin' about?" Spoke a curious Rito.

"Anywaaays~ Please be good to me, Rito~" She had winked, though an annoyed Rito had not wished for that to be his answer.

"ANSWER MY QUESTION, DAMN I-"

"Lala-hime!"

The two had looked behind them to see Zastin, who had been breathing heavily. It was very noticeable that there had been a dog wrapped around his leg gnawing at the front leg piece of his armor as if it were a chew bone.

"Zas_tin_?!" Peke and Lala cried in unison.

"More weirdos?! Where the hell do you guys keep coming from?!"

"Heh.." Zastin had smirked. "It was quite the troublesome journey to find you.. I had first been arrested for looking suspicious, had secondly been chased by this rabid dog on my leg, and had thirdly gotten lost on the way here.." He would then looked up. "This is why underdeveloped worlds are not part of my jurisdiction.." He would raise out his hand. "Lala-hime! As your first guard, I ask that you accompany me at once back to Deviluke!"

Rito had finally understood what Peke was talking about now. Lala had been a _princess_ who was trying to avoid going home because she would be forced to marry.. That means that her aim was to..

"Nyeeeh! I don't wanna! I have a reason I don't have to now!" Lala stuck out her tongue at Zastin.

"A reason you say? Very well, let's hear it."

She would not hesitate to point at Rito, who had blinked. "My reason is.. I..! I have fallen in love with this guy right here! Rito Yuuki!"

Shit. He _really _didn't want to get involved with this guy. "So.. I'll marry him and live here on Earth!" Damn it, this woman really was trying to use him as an escape plan! But it didn't matter. He doubted that this Zastin guy would buy it. He'd have to be a real idiot or unbelievably gullible to.

"I see. So that's how it is." Zastin nodded, rubbing his chin. Rito gawked. He must've been a gullible idiot! "I was left to ponder when I had heard that my men had been out-maneuvered by an Earthling who's aim was to _rescue __the princess_."

Shit. Shit shit shit shit shit.. _Another _misunderstanding. These never end well for him. Rito had looked up with wide eyes as Zastin had taken his hands off of his face.

"Well, now that you are aware, go back and tell my daddy that I don't plan on going back, _or _meeting any of my future husband candidates!"

"I refuse." Lala had taken a step back, not expecting that. "It is not as simple as you believe.. I, Zastin, First Guard of the Royal Heirs, have been tasked by the King of Deviluke himself to retrieve you.." A truck had driven by as the sun had begun to set. "..and I won't be able to face him if I were to go home after approving such a marriage between the first daughter and a suspicious Earthling."

Rito had twitched his brow. _He _was suspicious?! This guy was walking around in armor and carrying a damn _sword_!

"Then what _can _we do?"

"Step back. Lala-hime." Zastin had quickly grasped his sword, and before Rito or Lala could react, he had blurred in front of Rito, who had jumped back just barely in time before the slash would hit. Though, the gust of wind that followed it had been powerful enough to send him skipping across the river and tumbling onto the other side, hitting his back hard against the wall of the other hill.

"Allow me to be sure.. Of whether he is a suitable candidate for your hand, Lala-hime."

Rito would then look up to see that he wasn't the only thing hit by the wave, seeing that a whole line of a crater had been formed above his head. This guy was really serious!

"Now you, Rito Yuuki.." He would point his sword toward the teen, who had sweatdropped. "Show me the skills you carry in battle!" He jumped forward, going to slash toward him.

"W-Wait, hold on, it doesn't have to be like thi-" As the driving by truck had drove over the spot where the crater had been, the ground had cracked and shattered, causing the truck to fall down toward the two of them. Zastin looking up with wide eyes and going to defend while Rito had gulped, then looked down, seeing that a familiar glove had fallen out of his pocket...

Once the truck had made impact, it had exploded due to Zastin cutting through it to defend himself from being hit, which the explosion would send him skidding across the lake and just barely onto the other side. Lala would look with wide eyes as for what she had seen, Rito had not been able to escape from the collapse.

Zastin would then turn to Lala. "An Earthling would not be able to escape death in that situation. Now. It is time for us to return, Lala-hime." He would walk over to her, but before he could fully reach her, they had both heard a footstep.

"You've got _some _nerve.." A transformed Rito had been carrying both his body and the driver of the exploded truck. He would then jump down from the rubble, landing next to Lala and setting the two down, Lala and Zastin both unsure of what was going on.

"R-Rito..?" Lala would look to Rito, and then his body.

"Look, I'll explain later.. Just focus on keeping this guy safe." He nudged his head toward the unconscious driver. Lala had nodded, walking over to the driver and kneeling next to him. Once that was finished, Rito had walked toward Zastin, a green spark emulating from his body.

"A marriage isn't possible with someone you don't like.. So I personally don't understand why you seem so eager to force her into ones with strangers." Rito would pop his neck, the wind blowing for a moment as another green spark had emulated from his body.

"Marrying the first heir of the Deviluke Royal Family would mean you would be given total authority over countless planets throughout the universe.. Any man will simply not suffice for the job." Zastin would hold his sword in a kendo stance. "That is why the king has gathered possible candidates that are all born from families with great power from all over the galaxy to meet Lala-hime."

"And I just said that it's not a real marriage if it's not someone you don't-" He twitched his brow. "You know what. Someone like you wouldn't understand." He would grasp at the hilt of the sword at his back. "You said the prize of this fight was the first daughter of the Deviluke Royal Family, Lala Satalin Deviluke, right?" He would pull the sword out from its sheath, it's massive form being revealed to the two Devilukeans.

"You have the nerve to call Lala-hime a prize..? Fine. I shall fancy you. Though I shall not allow you to win."

"Heh." He had grinned, his body now given off a slight green glow as his clothes had levitated upward a bit. "Then I'll fight for her with everything I've got."

Lala had blushed upon hearing him say this, though it was short lived as she had guarded herself from the shockwave that had followed the two's first clash.

* * *

_In a dark room, a lone man had stood, looking to the sky out the window. He had slate gray eyes and long black hair, which he keeps up by wearing three on top of his head and another two on the right side. He had been wearing a similar outfit to the one Rukia had worn upon her arrival, though with a few accesories. He had most noticeably been wearing a white coat over it that had carried black highlights along it with cobalt blue lining and aesthetics, on the back being a wide, black bordered camelia that carried the japanese symbol for the numeral six within it. Around his neck, he wears a white scarf made from silver-white, windflower light silk. He also wore fingerless white tekkō which only cover the back of his hands._

_"Captain Kuchiki." Behind him had been another male, though with a different attire and form. He had a pair of chocolate brown eyes that had been accompanied by eyebrows that were drawn into the tribal tattoos that ran across his forehead and had divided at his long widow's peak that had led into his long crimson hair that had been held up in a pony tail. Over his forehead had also been a pair of seemingly high-tech goggles that had been a cobalt blue, much like the lining that had been around the edges of his clothes._

_"Yes, Renji." Captain Kuchiki had responded._

_"The Development and Research Team have lost track of Rukia's spiritual energy, but have suddenly found another that is higher than it." Renji would report. "I doubt that Rukia would be able to have been defeated by a lowly Fishbone, so could she have..?"_

_"Renji."_

_"Yes, Captain?" Renji would look up._

_"I want you to go to the World of the Living and confirm this theory of yours for yourself, then report directly to me."_

_"Yes sir." Renji would stand, bowing once before taking his leave._

* * *

Rito had been narrowly parrying the quick and consecutive slashes that Zastin had been throwing, being on the defensive as the two had been dashing across the city in their duel. Rito had grit his teeth, this guy had been stronger than he expected, continuously moving to parry and guard the quick and precise strikes thrown his way from the swordsman of Deviluke.

"What's the matter, Rito Yuki?! You're never going to be fit to guard someone like Lala-hime, much less defeat me, if all you are capable of is guarding and parrying!" He would finally throw a heavy slash that would send Rito sliding back, the substitute Shinigami using his sword to stop himself as Zastin had jumped forward, making a quick slash at his arm, which the male had barely been able to guard against, which had made it possible for Zastin to cut a good slash at his shoulder. Rito had no time to respond as he felt the entirety of the strike all at once, gripping the general area of the wound as blood gushed out, gritting his teeth.

"Damn.." He had lifted his sword to point it toward Zastin. Even though he took some damage, he was still willing to fight. Zastin had noticed this and sighed.

"You should yield while it's still possible for you, human. You've made it much farther than I had anticipated you would, but I can assure you, it will end here if you do not." Zastin had looked to him, an indigo aura beginning to form. Although, his serious gaze had only been paralleled by Rito's, who had still carried his sword in the same position.

"Don't you dare insult me like that.. Do I look like I've given up yet..?" Rito had smirked. He was damn sure that he wouldn't lose here. No matter how hopeless this situation seemed.

Zastin, hearing and understanding his response, nodded. He understood how he had truly felt. As a warrior himself, he was aware of how it felt to be underestimated by his opponents. He would not allow himself to make the same mistake to a foe who has already surprised him this much. He took a deep breathe, before making a grunt that would show that he is now unleashing what he had been hiding away. His power had released in a wellspring of indigo aura as he arched his arm back, the sword in his hand being enveloped in it's light as the glow embed over the blade.

"Prepare yourself, Rito Yuki.. This shall be my final attack!" He had tightened his grip around the hilt before thrusting his arm forward. Once he did so, a ray of light had emerged from the blade and flew over toward Rito with such force that it had caused the ground to rattle and break away at the force of it. As it came heading down toward Ichigo, the male had quickly done the only thing he knew to do. He pulled his arm over his shoulder and threw it forward, slamming the Zanpakuto in hand into the beam that had struck for him with force as the clash had caused spiritual energy to flood from the combating elements.

"What..?!"

Zastin looked toward Rito with a face of shock as he not only caught the attack, which should be too fast for his eyes to even register, much less for him to react to, but he's actually beginning to move forward, taking the attack with him. He widened his eyes before narrowing them. This.. Must be some kind of dream, right..? There's no way a mere human is defending against his attacks..!

"I told you before, didn't I..? I'd fight for her with.. _Everything_.. I got..!" Rito had let out a roar as he then swung the sword in his hand forward, the beam being sending with a gush of clear blue spiritual energy, Zastin widening his eyes as he had raised his blade to catch the attack, which had resulted in a large explosion that had sent him skidding back and tumbling into a pick-up truck nearby.

However, upon Rito's next step forward, he would stop, feeling his body beginning to burn. He grabbed at his chest as he looked under his clothes, seeing green markings appearing over his body as it pulsed, causing him to scream out in pain before it had faded into Spiritual Energy, it all floating back over to his body nearby Lala, Rito sprouting up with a face of shock as he had clutched his chest tightly, the same green markings blinking before fading in color, the boy breathing heavily as he looked toward Zastin, who had popped out of the truck side he was thrown into with ease.

Dusting himself off, he had looked to Rito and Lala, nodding to himself.

"Hmhmhm.. You fight me long enough to divert my attention from you, just to go back into Lala-hime's loving arms.. I see you are _very _overconfident to marry the first daughter.. However.. I don't plan on allowing you to do so!"

Rito had blinked, as he still had no idea what happened, but what he did know was that Zastin was jumping toward him and going to slash at him.

"Hold on.. Wait a minute.. I think you're getting the wrong idea here! AGH!"

Rito had quickly backflipped on instinct, dodging Zastin's attack and sliding back, sighing a breath of relief as he wasn't sliced in half. But he had to once again jump back as Zastin blurred in front of him, not being able to avoid the slash that had gone across his chest, leaving a scar that he would grit his teeth, rolling back as he grasped the ground to hold himself steady upon reaching the hill. Damn.. His human body can't handle too many of those, the most he was ever hit with that would apply kendo was a bamboo sword. This was full on metallic, and that edge definitely had enough power to slash through his entire body if it got close enough.

Though, before he could get any closer, Lala had tripped him, much to Rito's confusion, which had caused Zastin to fall down the hill that Rito had stopped himself from falling off. With a loud _oof_, Zastin had stood up from where he landed on the ground, looking up toward Lala.

"Lala-hime! Why did you interfere?!"

"That's not fair, Zastin. There's no way Rito can beat _you_, you're said to be the _Number One Swordsman_ of Deviluke." Lala had crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes toward Zastin. Rito had sweatdropped tremendously from that comment. Wait a minute. He was fighting the _strongest _swordsman on this chick's home planet..? Jeez. No wonder he couldn't keep him down for very long.

"But, Lala-sama! Marrying you, the heir of the Deviluke Royal Family, means he'll rule over _countless_ planets that are currently under Lord Deviluke's care! If he doesn't have the courage to stand and face me, then he has no right to even _dream _of taking that position!" Zastin had made images with his hands to symbolize the importance of the matter. "That's why the King has gathered all of the candidates he views as capable of fulfilling this role from all over the galaxy to meet you!"

"Didn't I say I didn't care?!" Rito had twitched his brow, a tick mark appearing over his head. "From what it looks like, Daddy cares more about the succession than me!" Jeez, he was already pissed off as being used as an excuse to get away from home, but an excuse to get away from her life entirely, just to force her way into his..? That was a bit frustrating.

"That's not true, Lala-hime!"

Rito would then stand up and roar out.

"WOULD THE BOTH OF YOU _SHUT UP_?!" Silence had followed, as the two of them had pinned their attentions on Rito, who breathed heavily. "The heir of Planet Deviluke.. Or meeting possible future candidates.. You all sound like a damn broken record.."

Rito clutched his fist, looking toward Zastin. "Can't a person live a normal life?! A marriage isn't possible if it's with someone you don't like, how many times do I have to say it?!" He would then look to Lala. "So please.. Just _go home_.. Give some freedom.. Your perfect candidate isn't gonna be found here.." He had made a deadpan face, rubbing the back of his head, going to walk away from the scene.

He may have been a bit harsh with that, but it hadn't mattered. He was already in enough stress dealing with Rukia's crap. He then stopped when he felt a tug on his sleeve, turning back to see that Lala had grabbed onto it.

"Rito.. I'm happy.." What? How is she happy that Rito just told her to leave..? Or.. Wait. Is this another.. "You said you didn't like me.. So I wasn't expecting you.. To understand my feelings so quickly.."

Lala would look toward Zastin. "Like Rito said.. I.. Just want to live a normal life.." She clutched his sleeve tighter, Rito blinking. "There are so many things that I wanna do.. And.. I want to pick my future husband myself.." Lala would then look back to Rito with a pair of eyes that Rito recognized from all the romance movies that Mikan watches.

"Uh.. Hey.. Hold on.." He didn't really exactly mean for it to come out the way it did, it was _supposed _to be a plea for him to be left out of this.. But. From the looks of it, that won't be the case.

"I was originally using our marriage as an excuse not to have to return to Deviluke, Rito.."

_"Big shocker.." _Peke had sweatdropped from the hat on Lala's head.

"But.. Now.. I think I really can.. Marry you.." Rito had to make sure he was hearing correctly. "I mean.. I _really _want to marry you!"

Damn it. Rito had internally panicked for a second there. How was he going to deal with her and Rukia at the same time..?! It was impossible. It was already so great of a task to deal with being woken up and dragged out of places to do Hollow work, he hasn't gotten a single bit of his homework done, but luckily most of his teachers don't care because the majority of his class are slackers, but it didn't change the fact that it was too stressful!

"WAIT! NO! NO NO NO NO NO! Hey! You! Sword guy! Do somethi-" Much to Rito's chagrin, Zastin had bowed his head.

"..I lost, Earthling.." Zastin had clutched his fist tightly. "It is my sworn duty to follow King Deviluke's orders.. However.. This made me oblivious to how Lala-hime had been feeling.. Ne, I had been completely neglecting them all this time.." Tears had been streaming down the soldier's eyes. "But.. Now that you have brought them to light.. I.. Can't help but admit defeat.." He turned away from the scene, beginning to make his march toward the distance.

"I am unsure if the countless husband candidates from across the galaxy will agree, but I will make a full report to King Deviluke myself.." He stopped, turning toward Rito. "..that I can entrust Lala-hime's life to you." He smiled as he saw Lala hug onto Rito's arm, encapsulating it with her boobs. "You.. How understands her feelings perfectly."

"Rito~!"

* * *

The bespectacled teen had been watching the scene from above, straightening his glasses.

"A Shinigami that has gained the respect of an official of a galactic empire.. This is.. Rather intriguing."

He would turn as he saw a male wearing a black dress shirt, accompanied by a blue tie with star shaped crosses patterned all over it, and pinstripe pants. Over this would be a white coat with that had lacked sleeves, lined with silver chains and two blue stripes across the jacket that formed a cross over where his heart would be, a silver star pinned onto the intersection. Hanging off his wrist was a silver cross, that was shaped very close to that of the Star of David. His hair was a deep black, with deeply frosted white tips. He would raise a hand as the teen would go to bow in respect to him.

"I've told you before, haven't I, Ishida? In the House of the White Cross, we're all like family."

"Of course.. Yashiro." Ishida had nodded, Yashiro patting his shoulder.

"Now. I'd say be careful of that boy.. He may not look like much, but.. He carries a very _potent _Spiritual Energy. If he were to even learn a little about controlling it, I sense that much will cause him to grow incredibly as a fighter."

Ishida had returned his attention to Rito, narrowing his eyes. He couldn't accept that.. He couldn't even maintain his spiritual form for very long without the help of Rukia Kuchiki..

* * *

**\- END -**

* * *

_"I was originally planning on having Rukia show up for this episode, doing that whole thing with that Hollow that was after the parakeet Chad had come across. But, I decided to cut that off since I was already taking too long on this chapter, and also I was procrastinating cuz I was adjusting to the whole quarantine thing. After I began adjusting, my life seemed to become more normal, and a lot more occupied. D&D kinda does that. Yeah. I know what some of you might say. But, D&D is actually really fun if you get a good story, and alternate it in the ways we do. I'm actually running a Bleach Campaign on Discord that has a session today. But, that might be a bit too personal. Anyways, I'll get started on the next chapter right away! I've got new ideas for this story and I really gotta say that yes, it may seem that the To LOVE-Ru section of this story is kinda secluded, but it's going to be integrated into this, I promise! But I also plan to integrate the main BLEACH story as well, so to make a legitimate story that lines the both of their stories up, instead of it just being a crossover where there are characters of one series thrown into the basic story of the other. I plan to intermingle the stories of the two and connect their lore a bit, having some fun with that."  
"About the whole Rito's soul returning to its body thing and the markings, it's because Rito and Rukia's Zanpakuto carry no synergetic bond, meaning that he requires Rukia's presence to maintain Shinigami form while using it. However, his own Spiritual Pressure can make him able to fight for a good minute, but not any longer, and if he spends it all, say, deflect a light-speed beam that is continuously hurtling forward while already damaged pretty good, then he'll be rejected by Rukia's Zanpakuto and returned to his body. But, if you don't get what I mean by that, or ya haven't gotten In touch with BLEACH as a series, you'll find out soon enough."  
__"Anyways, I've rambled long enough. I think I plan to make the next episode focus more on Haruna. Yes. I have her filling in the role for Orihime in this, I found that it would be a good idea, since Rito's filling in the role of Ichigo. Though, her hair isn't ginger and her boobs don't get bigger every time the artist who created her's art-style improved, but I still enjoy Haruna as a character, and her personality fit a lot with the kind of characters that Stephanie Sheh voices. And, yeah. I'm willing to argue that Tite Kubo has the_ greatest _chest to hip ratio in his art-style, to the point where he can make anime girls seem more realistic. Anyway, I do plan to debut Shun Shun Rikka next and have Haruna and Rukia interact some. Rito will still appear, just that he'll probably not have the prominent role next chapter. Anyways, ciao."__  
\- Red_


	4. The Troubles Space Bring (2)

A bit of grunting had been heard throughout Rito's room. This had been because Rito had been just waking up to a new day. He had reached forward, stopping once he had felt his hand come into contact with something.. And his eyes had shot wide open when he realized who was in the bed with him.

'_Lala…?! Then.. Wait.. Does this mean.. This soft thing that my hands are in contact with _right now _are..?_'

He would then slowly lift the covers in pursue of ensuring his theories were correct, however was a little disappointed at what he found.

'_Wait a minute.._' He then looked back to what he saw was truly in contact with his hand. "PEKE TOO?!" He would then try and scoot back, not realizing how far his side of the bed had really been as he had fallen off, hitting his head as he would soon somersault backward.

Soon, the pink haired devilukean would moan a bit as she sat up, stretching out her right arm while rubbing her eye with her left hand. "Mmm.." She would then open her eyes, smiling upon seeing a deadpan faced Rito who had been averting her gaze with a blush. "Oh, Rito! Good morning!"

"_Morning _my ass! The hell are you doing in my bed?! Naked, nonetheless?!"

"Eh? What do you mean why? I wanted to sleep with you, Rito."

"_Plus, it's rather difficult to maintain Dress Form for vast periods of time._"

"Well, can't you get into Dress Form _now_?!" Rito would quickly looking away, his blush expanding as he saw her breasts react to her movements.

Then, the click of fate. Rito had slowly turned toward the door, a sweatdrop appearing over his face.

"Hey, Tatsu, how long do you plan to be... Late..." Mikan would peek her head in through the cracked door, assessing the situation and nodding to herself.

The door would then shut.

"I apologize for intruding."

"WAIT, MIKAAAAN!" Rito tried to reach out for the door, but it would seem it was too late to explain himself. He would then look down and sigh. "Damn it.. Already another pain in the ass misunderstanding.."

"Oh yeah~! I have to go out today!" Lala had chirped happily behind him, which Peke had stood up, seeming to have a happy face judging from his eyes.

"_That's right, Lala-sama!_"

"You know what to do, Peke!" The pink haired girl smiled to her creation, which had spun around and jumped up.

"_Yes, ma'am! Dress Mode!_" Soon, Peke's body would expand from its original form, covering over Lala's nude body before enwrapping it in her usual outfit based from Peke's original form.

"Alright! I'm ready now!" Rito turned his head toward Lala, who had stepped out of the window seal, hopping out and beginning to fly using Peke's wings. "Ok, Rito, I'll be going out for a while now!" She waved, taking off into the distance.

"Eh-?! Wait a minute!" Rito tried to call out to her, but had failed to reach her, he would then sigh and sweatdrop. "I just hope she doesn't cause a mess of the city, wherever she's going.." He sighed, but then looked up.

'_In all seriousness, though.. Is she still trying to just mooch off of me, or.._' He remembered her words, pondering over the meaning that could be behind them. _"I.. I think I can really marry you now, Rito.. No.. I _want _to marry you!"_

A slight blush would form over his face, before he twitched his brow, shaking his head violently. "No! No way in hell!"

"Denying it won't make it any better." He quickly spun around when he saw Rukia hop out of his closet in her school uniform, dropping his jaw.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING IN THERE?!"

"It's where I sleep."

"WHADDOYA MEAN IT'S WHERE YOU SLEEP?! WE HAVE A GUEST ROOM FOR A REASON, DAMN IT!"

"But if you kick that alien girl there, then I have no where to go, plus the closet's comfy."

"I think you forget that in my eyes, you're practically an alien too.." Rito twitched his brow, now having his uniform on, though very messily.

"Well, anyway, we'd best hurry before we're late."

"Ah, well.. We probably already are." Rito threw his bag over his shoulder, following Rukia out the door.

* * *

Rito would sigh as they were walking. '_Damn it.. I almost forgot that I've got to clear things up with Sairenji.. She probably has a hatred for me now that she thinks I'm some bastard who'd messin' around with women in a damn locker room._' He sweatdropped remembering the event where Lala warped him to the girl's changing room naked, and the unfortunate turn of events that Haruna was there, and the powerful slap he received because of the misunderstanding.

"Oh, cheer up. Think about it, your life's exciting now." Rukia had commented, nudging him a bit, which Rito had twitched his brow at.

"I've got enough going on in my life to satisfy a little kid for life.. That's _too _exciting if you ask me." Rito had walked forward a bit more.

Rukia had only giggled, following after. "You say that, but you've seemed to accept it better than anyone else in your shoes would."

"That's because I'm one of a kind, Rukia, don't forget it." Rito grinned a bit, before they stopped, hearing a cry in the distance.

"TAAAAAAAAATSUUUUUUUYAAAAAAAA!" Racing down the street at speeds thought impossible for even an Olympic runner was Keigo, who upon coming close enough, would jump toward Rito, who had quickly raised his arm, causing the teen to crash into his bicep.

"What is it now, Keigo?"

"I.. Wanted.. To say.. Good.. Morning.." Keigo had slid off his arm slowly, hitting the ground with a slight thud before he sprang up, a smile on his face.

"Is that all? Well, good morning to ya then, Keigo." Rito shrugged, walking forward, now with Keigo in the party.

"So, what do you guys think about the test? You think you're all gonna make it?" Keigo looked to the other two, who both shrugged.

"Personally, I doubt I'll fail." Rito responded, smirking.

"I'll give it my all and that's that." Rukia had also smirked.

Keigo had then turned his gaze forward, slumping his shoulders a bit. '_Man.. They've got a powerful confidence.. I'm honestly a bit shaken to even _try _to think I'll pass.._'

Then suddenly, a ringing came from Rukia's chest pocket, which she had retrieved her Denreishinki from, looking to Rito, who had only nodded as the two of them had took off toward the distance.

"So, maybe after school we could head to this bowling alley I heard abou-" Keigo stopped, dropping his jaw when he saw that the two he was walking with weren't there. '_Where'd they go..?! Are they ninjas or something..?!_'

Keigo would then slump.

"Maaan.. Just when I was having a regular conversation with them.."

* * *

"HUH?!" A rather overweight plus with short black hair, and a pair of square glasses, had looked to Rukia and Rito, who had both been looking over the scene.

"No Hollow _again_?! What the hell's going on here?!" The plus would be shivering. "How many times has it been this week?! Is that pager of yours broken, Rukia?!"

Rukia shook her head. "Strange.. It doesn't seem to be.."

"Damn it all! I've got a test to do today!"

"So do I!"

"This is your fault! This is all because of you and your broken pager!"

"I'm trying to tell you, it isn't broken!"

"Then what's up, huh? You thinkin' some Shinigami is just hoppin' around, whipping Hollows while we aren't lookin'?!"

"I doubt that's the case.. Shinigami are all divided amongst separate and distinct territories.."

The plus would finally shout, jumping toward the two of them with a smile on his face. "OH! I WAS SO, SO, _SO _SCARED BEFORE YOU SHOWED UP! YOU GUYS SAVED MY AFTERLIFE! THANK YOU~!"

His joy was quite literally stomped on by Rito, as he grinded his foot atop the plus's head. "Don't thank us, thank whoever the hell saved you!"

"Hey, wait a minute, Tatsuya!"

Rukia had grabbed the Plus's shoulder, quickly gaining their attention. "You said you were scared, correct?" He nodded frantically. "That means there _was _a Hollow here. Did you see who defeated the creature you saw? Who was it? What kind of person was he?"

"Uh, uh.. I.. Kinda had my eyes closed ever since that thing appeared.. It scared the heck out of me, ya know.." He then looked over to the two, who had both carried a frown as their eyes were overshadowed by their bangs. "Uh.. I'm.. S-S-S-S-S-S-S-S-S-S-SORRRRRY! I don't know what you're so angry for, but I'm sorry! I didn't mean to upset ya so bad! Here, as an apology, you can have my_ Magical Kyouko_ figure!" He would toss the figure in question over to Rito, who would in his anger swiftly swing his arm forward, smashing through the doll without mercy.

"KYOUKO, NOOOOOOOOOOO!"

"Alright, let's perform Konso quickly."

"Wait. Wha? What's Konso? Are you gonna stab me with that huge sword?!"

From a rooftop nearby, Uryu had been watching over the scene, eyes narrowed. He would then huff, turning away and walking off into the distance.

* * *

"I FINISHED IIIIT!" Keigo had cheered happily, having successfully completed his test. "And.. I'm.. Done for..!"

"Ah.. Did ya fall short..? Well, don't worry. So did I." Mizuiro chuckled a bit, sweatdropping.

"Ah, don't feel bad, Keigo. One bad score isn't a ticket to cashier alley, don't sweat it."

"Well said, Tatsuya! That's right! We can be failures together!" Keigo would be about to tackle hug Tatsuya, who was already ready to sucker punch him upon trying to do so.

"You should _probably_ take a look at the test scores before ya say that." Mizuiro chimed in. "This is Tatsuya's ranking in the Mid-Terms if ya must know." He showed a paper, which would be labeled _Top 50 Mid-Term Rankings_.

"Heh? No way, Mizuiro. Only the Top 50 get on there, lemme take a loo-" Upon doing so, Keigo's jaw had dropped. Uryu Ishida had been number one, however.. That wasn't what surprised him..

"..Tatsuya.. You're.. You're NUMBER 18?!" He looked behind him to the man in question, who had shrugged. "NUMBER 18 OUT OF OUR _ENTIRE _CLASS?! MEANING THAT YOU'RE THE 18TH OUT OF ALL 322 STUDENTS IN OUR CLASS?!"

"Chill out, Keigo.." Rito sweatdropped.

"IMPOSSIBLE! HOW DID YOU GET ON THIS LIST, TATSUYA?!" Keigo had came closer to Rito, who had cringed a bit.

"Well, I don't have any club activities, so I've got plenty of time to use for studyin', ya know."

"STUDYING?! YOU MEAN, YOU DO _THAT _INSTEAD OF HAVE ALL THE FUN WITH US THAT I ASK YOU TO JOIN IN ON?!" Keigo's eyes began to stream tears as he fell to a knee dramatically. "I understand now.. That's why you always turn down my invitations.."

Rito had raised a brow, still not understanding whatever he was rambling about.

"While _we _were out in the world having the time of our lives being idiots, _you _were locking yourself in your room studying and learning outside of school! You damn _weirdo_, no, you _NERD_!" He would swiftly spin around. "Take these _nerd _glasses, Captain Nerd Fa-"

Rito had punched Keigo before he finished, causing the glasses to shatter. "No thanks."

Keigo would be rolling around on the ground, crying out in pain.

"Huh.. You must study hard then, Tatsuya." Mizuiro looked to the male he was referring to, who had pocketed his hands.

"Well. Yeah. This hair I've been born with.. Makes things a bit on the tough side for me. No matter how many times I try to convince my seniors that it's not a dye or anything like that.. They still wanna let loose on me. Plus, it's not any better that the faculty has their watchful eye on me in case of any trouble I might cause.. Which definitely sucks. I've got a pretty bad temper, which makes me able to start fights pretty easily. If the faculty starts to hassle me, I usually mouth off. Then they say I have a behavior problem, and the whole thing ends up snowballing." Tatsuya then reached up to the back of his head, scratching it a bit. "I've got a lot of bad going my way, so I've gotta at least keep my grades good. The Faculty doesn't put you on their radar so much if you've got good grades."

"Wow.. That must be rough.. Even for you.." Saruyama would chime in, having been sitting at the desk behind them, listening in.

"Eh. It's really not.. I've gotten really used to it."

'_Just now.. Tatsuya referred to the teachers as.. _The Faculty_.. Like they were institutional torture machines.. That's.. Kinda sad, really.._' Keigo had looked over to Rito, taking off the mock glasses and putting them on the desk. '_Tatsuya must have experienced all kinds of discriminations just because of how he looks.. Things that the rest of us couldn't possibly imagine.. For a moment there, I actually did think I was gonna start crying for 'im.._' Keigo would then stand up off the ground, reaching into his pocket. '_That's why.. Tatsuya.._'

"I'll give you.." Keigo would then jump forward toward Tatsuya. "This _Super Nerd_ _Headba-_" Keigo would be interrupted by the door flinging open, being struck down by Tatsuya's shoulder upon him turning to see who came in.

"Tatsuya Yuki, we need to talk." The one to enter was a girl with long black hair and large dark brown eyes, who had been giving Tatsuya a scowl, which he had responded with one of his own as his brow twitched.

"Oh. It's just Kotegawa.."

"What do you mean _just __Kotegawa_?"

"You heard me."

"Wait a minute, Tatsuya, you know _the _Yui Kotegawa?!" Keigo had question while he had stood up, looking to Tatsuya who shrugged.

"I know a _lot _of the big shots in this school, be it from childhood to this year.. Kotegawa here _would _be considered a childhood friend, if it weren't for the fact that she practically begs for attention, and then nags at ya when ya give it to her."

"What was that?!"

"The truth, Kotegawa!"

The two of them would glare toward each other, bolts of imaginary lightning striking from the two's heads.

Haruna, on the other side of the room, had walked over to the whiteboard, looking to the Daily Chore sign to see who's turn it was, blinking and noting that her name was on it.. But. The name next to it had caused her to blush a bit.

'_I'll be paired with.. Yuki-kun.. Today.._' She would then look over to Rito, who had still been in a dispute with Yui. That wasn't her worries though. For the past few days.. She had seen him at night.. Fighting some strange creatures.. She would clutch the book in her hand to her chest tightly.

"Y'know. If ya wanna talk to him, you should just go ahead, right?" Haruna quickly turned as she saw Tatsuki standing next to her, a hand on her hip. Haruna would then shake her head, looking down.

"No.. I don't want to come off as a bother to him.." Haruna would then think back to a certain moment. "Plus, there's.. Something I've gotta talk about with him.. In private.." She was aware that explaining what it was to Tatsuki would only cause a scene, so she refrained from doing so.

"Oh really now? Well, I'm rooting for ya, Haruna." Tatsuki smiled to her, which Haruna nodded.

"Thanks, Tatsuki.."

"In _private_, you say?" Haruna had spun around as suddenly she was approached by two of her friends, Risa Momioka and Mio Sawada, who both had lecherous looks on her face.

"Oh, Haruna. Is this a confession of your ?" Risa teased, causing Haruna to blush and shake her head, afraid to respond verbally.

"Aw, what's the restraint for~? Clearly you're hiding something~ What is it you wanna talk about it in private~?" Haruna backed away some more, a sheepish smile forming on her face, as she would suddenly be grabbed form behind as Chizuru would take hold of her breasts from under her arms, laughing devilishly.

"Now fess up, Haruna-chan~ I can't have you doing naughty things with anyone other than me~!" She had licked Haruna's ear, causing her to shiver a bit.

"HEY! The three of you should stop that immediately! How indecent!" Yui had cried out from across the room, pointing toward the three of them, who had all looked to her with star eyes as they swiped across the room, all grabbing a hold of her from different angles.

"You're one to talk, Kotegawa~" Replied Chizuru.

"Just look at this body of yours~" Mio smirked.

"It's just shameless to have the attention of all the guys with just this body alone~" Risa smirked as well, squeezing her breasts.

Rito had simply watched the scene with a deadpan face, Yui squirming to break free as Keigo and Saruyama had both looked with wide eyes.

"Woah.. Keigo, you seein' this?!"

"Yeah, man! Four girls about to get down and dirty in front of us! This is a lucky cha-"

Suddenly, the both of them would be struck by the palms of each of the four girl's hands, being sent flying back, Rito and Mizuiro both easily dodging the two as they hit the wall.

"DAMN PERVERTS!" They had all cried out in unison, turning away and huffing whilst crossing their arms.

"Their unity is astounding.." Mizuiro blinked.

"Yeah.. Looks like a common enemy can do that." Rito sweatdropped.

"Oh, yeah, you and Haruna are the ones doing the Daily Chores today."

"Oh.. Ah well."

"Oh right. Yuki-kun. Where is Rukia Kuchiki? The Disciplinary Committee had all agreed on interrogating her, since she's usually never in class."

"Why are you asking me, Kotegawa?" Rito twitched his brow.

"Well, you guys _are _always together." Mizuiro chimed.

"No clue. Ever since she showed up here, she's been following me around like a lost puppy, and everyone we pass by gives us creepy ass looks. And it's even more a pain in the ass that she doesn't even notice. Anyway, it's better for me to just ignore her."

Keigo had slowly arisen from the ground, rubbing his cheek, looking over to them. "Then, next thing I knew, I couldn't walk through the hallway without hearing some rumor about the _nature_ of our relationship!" Rito crossed his arms, which upon him saying it, Haruna had bit her nail.

'_Yuki-kun and.. Rukia..? But.._'

"Haruna. Relax." Tatsuki pat Haruna's shoulder, who had jumped a slight bit, turning toward her.

"Tatsuki.."

"Don't get discouraged now. You've got a chance! Now go on and get the chores done." Tatsuki nudged her shoulder, which Haruna nodded.

"You're right.. Thanks, Tatsuki." She looked up with a bright smile.

"Of course. Always here to help you out."

* * *

Rito and Haruna had been wiping off the chalkboards after class ended, the two of them on opposite ends as they each wiped it in a different fashion. Rito being rather fast as he scrubbed it like dishes, while Haruna had wiped the chalk off in a more soft and slower pace. A silence had been there, that had been creeping over Haruna's nerves. Every few seconds, she would look over to Rito, who had been double checking his work, before setting the eraser down.

'_This is.. Awkward.. Maybe I should say something.. To lighten the mood.. I do need to talk things over with_ _Yuki-kun.._'

"Yo, Sairenji."

She had snapped out of her thoughts, looking up toward him.

"I can handle all of this. I know you've got Tennis Club to prepare for, and you also promised to wait for Tatsuki after she's finished with the Martial Art's Club for today.. So you go ahead and take a break."

'_Yuki-kun.. So_ nice..' She blushed a bit, letting her mind wander, but then she snapped out of it and shook her head. "No, Yuki-kun. I was tasked to do this, too. We've got to clean the music room next, right? I'll go get the key!"

Rito would tilt his head, raising a brow.

* * *

"Damn that Kisuke Urahara! He's never around when I really need him, and only shows up whenever I _don't_!" Rukia had frowned, looking at her Denreishiki, while setting it on a rock and pointing toward it with a scowl. "You call yourself a business man!"

Haruna had stopped, looking over as she had seen Rukia kneeling down toward a rock on her way back from the faculty room, having returned the keys to the faculty room after they finished cleaning the music room. She would then come closer, hiding behind the opening to where she was from the school building, observing her.

'_Is that.._ _Kuchiki-san..?_'

"Well, anyway.. I need to get it checked out.. Otherwise I won't be able to tell if it's broken or no-" Rukia then stopped as she heard it beeping, she would then swipe it up and take off toward the distance, which Haruna understood what that meant.

'_..she's.. She's going to make Yuki-kun fight.. Those monsters again.._' Haruna shook her head. '_I won't let it_ _happen!_' She would quickly take off herself.

* * *

"Yo, Rito, you wanna head to the bowling alley with me, Saruyama, and Mizuiro after your done with the chores?"

"Nah. I've gotta go pick up Mikan so we and Chad can go to the Aquarium we used to go to while I was in Junior High." Rito waved off Keigo's offer, partially because he didn't want to go out with _Keigo _of all people. It wasn't that he didn't like him, it was just that Keigo was too much like his father for him to bear it. "Well, anyway, see ya, I've just got a few more things to get done before I go pick up Mikan."

"Yeah, bye.." Keigo had watched him leave, turning to Saruyama and Mizuiro. "You guys are still with me, right?"

"Yeah, of course, partner!" Saruyama gave him a thumbs up.

However, Mizuiro's attention was on his phone, as his fingers were flying across the phone at speeds he didn't imagine were possible. "My bad, Keigo. Me and my girlfriend are gonna meet up with her 9 friends at the Hot Spri-"

"YOU?! ALONE?! WITH 10 OTHER GIRLS?! AND YOU'RE LEAVING ME AND SARUYAMA IN THE DUST?!"

"YEAH! WHAT THE HELL, MAN?!"

"Ehehe.." Mizuiro sweatdropped. "Bye!" He would then skip off into the distance, which Saruyama and Keigo watched him go, then speedily chasing him.

* * *

'_Ah, that's right. I was supposed to clear things up with Haruna on that whole incident with Lala.. Guess it's too late now, huh.._' Rito had shrugged, carrying a vase, and setting it down by the window seal, going over to grab his bag, but then, he would notice that there was a flower that he could tell was lacking water as it was beginning to shrivel. He would then turn right back around, heading into the hallway to get some water for it.

Once he did so, he would turn around to see Haruna, watching him as she would give him a smile. "Yuki-kun.. You often took care of the flowers when we were in Junior High too, didn't you..?"

"Eh?" Rito would look to her, raising a brow.

"People usually forget to do things like changing the water rather easily, but.. You, Yuki-kun, always took care of that." She looked down a bit as she smiled upon remembering back to Junior High, when she saw Rito filling the flower vase with water carefully, and making sure to not let anyone get near the vase.

"Oh, yeah, it's no big deal. We have tons of flowers and other kinds of plants at home, too. My old man was originally the guy in charge of takin' care of 'em, but he ended up being too busy with his manga work to even come home, and Mikan often takes care of all the housework since my mom's always who knows where. I guess it's just natural that I'd be the one to take up the job in his place. Someone had to or they were all gonna die. I guess from then on it just became a habit of mine." Rito had scratched the back of his head, shrugging.

"I think that.." Haruna held her chest. "..it's the special kindness that.. You don't want to show anyone, Yuki-kun."

"Sairenji.." He would then look to her, a slight blush forming over his face. "What're ya talkin' about..?"

She would then realize what she was saying and began to blush profusely. "U-Um. Nothing at all! I'll just take out the trash!" She quickly spun around, grabbing the trash can and going to rush out the door. Widening her eyes as she felt herself trip on her next step, falling downward before she was suddenly brought to a halt.

"Sairenji!" She looked behind her to see that it was Rito who caught her, sighing a breath of relief, as he then stopped, looking down to see that her hand was in his, while his other was just below her breast.. But so close that he could practically feel the area of her shirt that layered over her bra. He would then quickly blush before letting go of her, moving back a bit. "Ah- My bad, Sairenji!"

"Thanks.." Haruna would say, holding the hand Rito held close to her. He would then look over to her, their eyes meeting as she had smiled to him. "Yuki-kun.. Would you help me take out the trash?"

"Ah, yeah. Su-"

"TATSUYA!"

They would both turn as they saw Rukia at the door, breathing for a moment before looking to him. "We've gotta talk."

Haruna would then spin around, spreading her arms out. "No! You just plan to take Yuki-kun off to fight another one of those monsters! Well.. I won't let you!" She glared toward Rukia, who would blink, but then giggle to herself.

'_Aw, that's adorable. So she's got Tatsuya as her Highschool Crush._' Rukia would then speak up. "Well, that's too bad. As of right now, it is his duty to do so, and not even your feelings can get in the way of that." Haruna had then puffed her cheeks, opening her mouth to speak again, but had stopped upon Rito grasping her shoulder lightly.

"Sairenji. It's ok. I do this stuff for a reason. Right now, Rukia can't do it herself, as much as she wants to. So, someone's gotta do it before innocent lives are taken off the board." Rito would smile to her, which she had turned back to him with a face of worry.

'_Yuki-kun.. You've always been like this.. You're selfless and you always jump in for others.. And you don't regard yourself whatsoever.._' Haruna shook her head. She realized that this was the way he was, and would always be. She then looked up to him with a smile. "Ok, Yuki-kun.. But please be careful."

"You got it." Rito would give her a thumbs up, before he and Rukia took off. Haruna looking down and picking up the trash she had dropped. As she did so, she would hear glass shattering in the distance, to which she would pick up the trash can and take off toward the distance. She was aware that there was only one place in the school that she recalled was occupied at the moment, the Martial Arts Club dojo.

* * *

Mikan looked around. Currently, she was on the back of a teenager of Mexican and Japanese descent. He is dark-skinned with pronounced cheek-bones and has wavy brown hair with bangs that hung over his eyes. It was also notable that he was a muscular and extremely tall man and appears to be much older than he actually is. He was wearing a pink short-sleeved dress shirt with red flower patterns tattered over it with the collar open enough to see his chest, while his pants were simply the standard grey complimented by a pair of black running shoes. This was Yasutora Sado, or, as his friends called him, Chad.

"Ya know.. I haven't seen Rito at all.. You'd think he'd be done with those chores by now.."

"..mhm.."

"You think we should head to school to check it out?"

"..."

"Well?"

"..sure."

"That's not an answer!"

Mikan would bonk Chad on the head lightly, sweatdropping. "Ya know, you've always been like that.."

"I guess.." Chad had shrugged lightly. The two would continue walking away from the Sainan First Elementary School, which was where Mikan attended classes, heading toward Sainan High. Unbeknownst to them however, there was a large bipedal Hollow with an extremely muscular body watching over them.

* * *

_**Through Heart and Soul: To-Love**_** _Ru  
_Chapter 4 | The Troubles Space Bring, Part 2 ~ Flowers of the Spring ~**

* * *

"Damn it.."

At the side of the Sainan High School building 1, it could be seen that Tatsuki and Chizuru were sweeping up glass from the pavement.

"I wouldn't have even bothered coming if I knew there'd be all this glass to clean up here.." Chizuru groaned. "Those Judo boys are so rough, they obviously got rowdy and broke the windows. This is sooooo boring~ What if there had been people watching.." Chizuru had tapped her chin.

"But they all said, _It wasn't me! It wasn't me!_" Tatsuki replied, she had been in her Judo club outfit.

"_My arm did it all on it's own~!_ \- What're they, first graders..?!" Chizuru sighed. "They're just mad cause they lost the state tournament, doesn't mean they should take it out on the building."

"Still, it is weird.."

"What's this~? Are you defending them~? You got a thing for _sweaty guys_, Tatsuki~?" Chizuru grinned devilishly.

"The hell was that?!"

"The hell was what?!"

They stared each other down for a solid moment, before a swift breeze had gotten Chizuru onto her feet.

"That's it! I quit! I'm done! I'm headin' home!"

"What?! Hey-!" Tatsuki had stood, looking to Chizuru with a brow raised. "Hey, Chizuru!"

Chizuru then looked over to the other person there with them, Haruna, who had been staring up at something above, something Chizuru herself could not see..

"Ha~ru~na~chan~! Let's leave the cleaning up to Tatsuki and go home together~!" Chizuru then stopped, once again feeling that ominous breeze. However, what worried her was that Haruna had no reaction to it at all. She would then walk over to her, grasping onto her shoulder lightly. "You ok, Haruna-chan? You seem more out of it than usual.."

She then smirked, before her face turned into an optimistic smile. "If you don't snap out of it right now, I'll be forced to tickle you into submission~!"

"Do you just lack decency..?!" Tatsuki said, a cringe on her face as she looked to Chizuru.

"The hell was that?!"

"The hell was what?!"

They were back to their stand-off, glaring toward each other, before they were stopped by Haruna clearing her throat.

"So.. Tatsuki.. Chizuru.. I was told of this new recipe by Risa that I've really been wanting to try out.. So let's go do that!"

"Wha..?" Questioned Chizuru and Tatsuki, who had already taken grasping of each other's heads and throats.

Haruna would then push the two of them forward as she began to go to walk off.

"Come on, come on now!" Haruna had a bright smile on her face.

"But.. Haruna.."

"Let's go home!"

Behind her, a tentacle would slap the top of the shed. An ominous presence seeming to be atop of it.

* * *

**The Presence of Danger Beckons?**

* * *

"Wait, Tatsuya!" Rito would then stop, turning toward Rukia, who would be carrying his human body on her back, before judo tossing it, which was something he went wide eyed to before jumping over to catch it. "HEY, WATCH IT, RUKIA! THAT'S MY BODY! ARE YOU INSANE?!"

"No. I'm simply doing something I feel is necessary."

"YOU THINK TOSSING MY LIMP BODY TO THE GROUND LIKE IT'S GOING TO ATTACK YOU IS _NECESSARY_?!"

"No, but it was efficient for getting it off my back."

"YOU COULD'VE JUST PUT IT DOWN REGULARLY!"

"Enough of your whining." Rito would then look to Rukia as she pulled out.. A candy dispenser? She would then pop a candy ball out of it and he cringed as he watched her shove the ball down his own throat.

"I.. I'm a bit disturbed watching that. Anyway. What was the point of th-" He would then jump as he saw his previously limp human body spring up from the ground.

"Hello there!" It would chirp.

"WHAT THE HELL?!"

"Relax. It's just an Artificial-Soul."

"AN ARTIFICIAL SOUL?! WHAT THE HELL?!"

"It's something we Soul Reapers use to ensure our Gigai are not left lying around while we're in combat, and ensure their condition is perfect." Rukia explained, once again using her bunny drawings as an illustration, which Rito would grab them out of her hands and slap them down onto the ground.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS NONSENSE?!" He would stomp on the illustration and glare toward Rukia.

"If you had this in the first place, then why didn't you tell me sooner?! We've been dragging my body around for weeks when we could've just popped in one of those candies!"

"I meant to give it to you earlier, but I forgot."

"FORGOT?!" Rito had twitched his brow, but then looked over to his body, well, the Artificial Soul that inhabited it for the moment. "Alright, well. I have no idea how long I'll be dragged around town to hunt down Hollows for, so I'll need you to fill in for me, alright?" He scratched the back of his head. "Just find a really tall and super tan muscular guy, he should be with a girl with long brown hair who's about 4'10. They shouldn't be that hard to find, once ya do, just go along with whatever they do." He then turned away from him, before he and Rukia took off to the distance.

"Okay then, sir! Later~!" The artificial soul in Rito's body would wave, blinking once they left, then smirked. "Sike~! No way am I gonna just do that! This is the first time I've ever been in a body of my own~!"

* * *

"Tatsuki! Chizuru! Let's go! C'mon!" Haruna said cheerfully. "Let's get home, you guys!"

Chizuru and Tatsuki looked to each other, then shrugged, following after.

'_I know that.. I'm the only one here that can actually see it.._' Haruna bit her lip. '_If I'm being honest.. My first thought was that.. _I wish I hadn't.. _Then it became.. _I've got to escape.. _Those two things seemed to reach my brain at the same time as terror had struck throughout my entire body just when I merely took a look at that thing.._'

She remembered it clearly, and not because it was so recent. No. It was because it's appearance was burned into her memory. She saw a large Hollow whose body is composed of twelve large, lavender tentacles of sufficient length to prop itself up between buildings. It's mask resembled that of a jellyfish, with six appendages at the bottom and three circles of protrusions at the top.

'_That fear is just a signal.. I know that.. It's what's telling me that it's too dangerous.. I need to run.. Run.. RUN! We need to escape from here as fast as we can before this thing can get any closer to us.. It would tear us to pieces! I've got to get us out of here quickly.. But.. I can't scare the others.. Come on, Haruna, act like nothing's wrong!_'

"C'mon! Let's go, guys! C'mon, hurry, let's go!" Haruna would continue to say, to which the two would raise a brow.

"Ok! Ok! We're comin'!" Tatsuki would shout back, before puffing her cheeks. "What's up with Haruna.. It's not like her to skip out on chores.." She would then looked to Chizuru, who had a blush on her face. "What's that face for, Chizuru..?"

"It's nothing.." Chizuru would hug herself, sparkles emanating from her body. "I just wish I could be more like Haruna-chan~ She's so pretty~ And I envy that she's so restrained and sweet~ It makes me want to keep her to myself and find out what's really going in that head of hers~"

"What did you sa- … Die. Die, and be reborn as a more sentient being."

"How rude! Why shouldn't I admire every fiber of Haruna-chan's being?! … I mean..."

"Shut it! I don't wanna hear it!"

"Bu-"

"I SAID SHUT IT!" Tatsuki would swing around swiftly, her fist slamming its way into Chizuru's gut, which caused her to double over and fall onto the ground.

"Ugh.. Nice.. Gut shot.." Was all Chizuru could reply with.

"You guys.." Haruna sweatdropped. She would then turn around to see where the creature was, but widened her eyes as she saw that.. It was gone.

"Oh, by the way, Tatsuki.. Are you gonna wear your Karate Gi home?" Chizuru pointed to Tatsuki's attire, which the woman in question looked to and blinked.

"Oh, yeah, you're right. I forgot about that." She would then turn to Haruna, waving as she turned back, heading toward the gym. "Sorry, Haruna! I've gotta go change, just go on ahead without me, I'll meet up with you guys!"

"Wait, Tatsuki!" Haruna tried to call out for her friend, but she was already inside. "TATSU-" She would then stop. A cold silence falling over her as her heart beat increased dramatically as she slowly turned her head around. '_It's.. Here.._'

Slowly, the creature would open it's mouth, letting out a breath, as Haruna had refused to even take one, as her fear that it would notice that she is aware of its presence was gnawing at her.

"_You.. Can see me.. Can't you..?_"

Haruna's eyes shot wide open. '_Oh_ _no.._' Chizuru would raise a brow as she saw Haruna's state. "What's wrong, Haruna-cha-"

"RUN, CHIZURU! GET AS FAR AWAY FROM HERE AS YOU CAN!"

"What?"

"_Run..?_" The Hollow would chuckle. "_You really believe she can..?_" It's forehead would seem to open , large spores emerging from its innards as they would soon fire out like missiles toward the two of them. Haruna, upon seeing them fly down, would scream out as she raised her hands over her head to cover herself. The windows of the school behind her would soon come to shatter from the force of the spores being shot down like bullets as the glass would also fall down toward the two of them, however they all seemed to miss.

"What.. What was that..?" Haruna opened her eyes, looking around as she saw the damage dealt to the building near her, however, there was no damage done to her. "Was I.. Not hit..? What about.." She would then gasp as she saw Chizuru on the ground, her back shoulder bleeding heavily. "CHIZURU!" She would dash over to her, a face of shock and grief on her face as she kneeled down to her. "Are you alright?!"

"Ugh.. Maybe.. Nngh.. Not really.." Chizuru tried to stand, but failed as her arm gave out.

"Oh no! You're bleeding badly!" Haruna began to draw tears as she was afraid of the thought of losing her friend, to which Chizuru would raise her arm, whipping the tears from her face.

"Aww.. You're crying for me~? How sweet~ … Nngh.." She would then force herself to stand up to relieve Haruna's worries.

"Chizuru..?!"

"Hey.. Don't worry, Haruna-chan.. I dunno what hit me, and I'm bleedin' a lot.. But it doesn't hurt too bad.." She would then flap her hand around a bit. "See? It moves perfectly fine."

"But Chizuru.."

"Come on.. Don't give me that face.." She would walk closer to Haruna, smiling. "You're adorable when you're crying, sure, but.." She would then reach forward in other to rub her face again, closing her eyes. "I like it better when you're la-" Her eyes would then shoot open as she felt herself gripping Haruna's neck. "-ughing.."

"Hey, uh.. Chizuru..?" Haruna would slowly look down to confirm that it was Chizuru's hand around her throat.

"What's- Hey! Something's wrong.. Haruna-chan.. I.. I can't let go.. NO! LET GO!" She would try and pry her arm off of her with her other hand, however Chizuru failed to do so, her eyes widening. "Haruna-chan.. Haruna-chan, I'm so sorry!"

"_YUK YUK YUK YUK YUK YUK YUK YUK YUK YUK YUK YUK YUK YUK YUK YUK!_"

The laughing had been enough to get Haruna's attention, as she looked to the Hollow next to them, who would seem to be grinning. "_That's right! Choke her! Strangle your friend!_" Chizuru's grip had slowly tightened. "_Ya see.. I'm not akin to fighting. So, I send these seeds out of my forehead, that sprout inside the wounds of my target and slowly take them over.. And as you can see, it's been working on your friend splendidly~_"

"Wha- Ow...!" Chizuru exclaimed as it was revealed that a seed had indeed been the cause of Chizuru's wound, and was slowly digging inside of her arm.

"_And then.._" Chizuru would suddenly let go as she screamed out in pain, the veins in her arm bulging a bit before she would punch Haruna across the face. "_I make my proxies battle it out for me, while I stay nice and clean!_"

"No..! Haruna-chan, are you ok?!" She looked to her wide eyed.

"_Now.. Let's get started! It's been a while since I've seen such a pretty young girl get ruthlessly slaughtered_ _by.._" As the Hollow spoke, several other students, all zombified by the effects of the Hollow, had been slowly walking toward her. "_..her own classmates!_"

"Wh-" Haruna had no time to react before they had all swarmed over her, pushing her down to the ground as they had all grabbed onto her, pulling at her body and clothing. "Wait! No.. STOP!"

They would all grunt as they continued and enlarged in numbers, Haruna continuing to plea for them to cease. "Please.. STOP!" She would cry out as her bow and shoulder piece of her sleeve were both torn off.

"She said stop, ya damn jerks!" She would then look over to see Tatsuki personally mowing the wave of students on top of her down one by one, before kicking the final one atop of her aside, gritting her teeth.

"Tatsuki!" Haruna cried happily.

"Sorry, Haruna.. I shoulda noticed that thing before.."

"Wait.. That thing.. So you can see it..?"

"Not see it, but.." Tatsuki would turn over toward the direction of the Hollow. "I can just _feel _where it is!" She would then point toward it with anger in her eyes. "Hey there, you fatassl! You picked on the wrong girl! 'Cuz of that, I'm gonna personally kick your ass!" She would then finger it to come at her. "Because I have a single rule that I'll follow with everything I've got! And that is.. Anybody that makes Haruna cry, will get their asses kicked by me!"

* * *

**Will The ****_Six Shielding Flowers (_**_**盾舜六花) **_**Blossom?**

* * *

Chad and Mikan would look upward, Mikan widening her eyes as she heard the laughing of a familiar voice. "Is that.."

"Yeah.. That's Tatsuya.. Or at least looks like it.." It was in fact Rito, but more so his body with the Artificial Soul inside. What was he doing? Well. He was simply skipping from building to building as he laughed loudly.

"HA HA! I'M THE KING OF THE WORLD~!"

"I don't remember my brother being able to jump on buildings, Chad, do you?" Mikan looked down to Chad, wondering if there was ever a case where Rito had jumped across buildings that he could remember.

"..not at all." Chad had responded. This, however, was a lie. As Rito had done it the time they met in order to save the coin that his abuelo had given him when it was shot into the distance on a slingshot by some bullies when they first met in Junior High.

They would then look to each other, then Chad would dash after the figure they saw.

* * *

"COME ON!" Tatsuki's fist would bury itself in the face of one of the controlled students. "NEXT!" She would kick another in the stomach. "NEXT!" She would chop another over the head. "NEXT!" Her elbow would slam into another's crotch as they tried to jump at her from behind. "NEXT!" Her knee would send the next one flying back as it struck their chin hard.

Haruna watched in shock as the seemingly endless ocean of controlled students had been all defeated by Tatsuki, who smirked.

"Come on, ya chumps! What's the matter?!" She would then gain a scowl. "I'm just one little girl, ya know!" Her face would then turn to one full of devilish excitement as she laughed evilly. "WON'T A SINGLE ONE OF YOU GIVE ME A DECENT FIGHT?!"

"H-Hey, Tatsuki.. I think you're going a bit too far.."

"_Well, well.. It would seem she's a lively one.. And the more lively they are.._" The Hollow would lick it's teeth, "_THE SWEETER THE SIGHT OF THEIR FACES CONTORTING INTO PURE AGONY!_" The students would all then rise, sweeping around Tatsuki and going to grab at her from all directions.

"Oh?! Is it seconds you wa-" Tatsuki's eyes would widen as she saw it was Chizuru that grabbed onto her shoulder, the veins now reaching up toward her eyeball.

"Run.. Tatsuki.." Was all Chizuru could mutter.

"Huh..? What're yo-" She would then widen her eyes as Chizuru had scratched through her sleeve, cutting at her arm as the students surrounding her had managed to all grab her in the moment of her surprise.

"TATSUKI!" Haruna would cry out as the Hollow moved closer to her as the students that all had a hold of her would be punching her until she began to spit out blood. Before she could say anything more, she herself would be once again caught the grasp over the students as he mouth was covered over, causing all of her screams to become muffled.

Tatsuki would be breathing heavily as she hung in the arms of the students, blood dripping from a wound made from the shot the Hollow fired in her shoulder. "Tch.. Damn.."

"MMNF! MNNNFFFF!" Haruna would scream for her friend, despite it being muffled by the students who had her in their grasp.

"_Heh heh.._" The Hollow would grin. "_How ya feelin'..?_" Tatsuki would look to the wound, noticing that the seed was beginning to dig deeper into her arm as veins would begin to spread from them. "_Those seeds I shot.. Are now spreading through your body.. Taking it over as we speak.. And soon enough.. Your every movement will be in my control._"

Haruna would try to break from the student's grasp, but to no avail, as she watched in horror as it came closer to her.

"_So.. How should I make you pay.. You'll pay dearly for coming between me and my torture of that girl over there.. Yes. You'll suffer the ultimate humiliation.._" The Hollow would then tap the area that would be it's chin with one of it's tentacles. "_Well, let's see.. I _could _have you beaten up by those other students, then make you choke your_self _to death.. Or I could have them tear your hair out by hand and hang you off a pole, then have you cut the rope a-_"

"MNNF! MNF, MNNNF, MNNNNF!"

"_You guys mind shutting her up?_"

Haruna would then find her face slammed into the ground, causing her to become silent.

"_Now.. Let's see.. I __have no idea what to do.. I'm pretty unspoiled, so I'm not that good when it comes to torture.. Oh, wait! Why didn't I think of it before! I'll just have _you _come up with your death for me, so get to i-_"

"Shut up."

"_..what?_"

"I said.. Shut.. Up.. And let.. Haruna go.." Tatsuki looked up, the anger remaining in her eyes, even as blood spilled from her body.

"_Hmm.. I don't think you grasp the situation you're in.. Your life.. Is in my tentacles.._" The hollow would rub one of it's tentacles over her face, growling in pain when Tatsuki had bit it in response. "_OW! GRAAAAHHHH! LET GO OF ME! LET GO OF ME! LET GO OF ME!_" It would be slapping Tatsuki in attempts to make it let go, however failing. "_You damn piece of shit.. I told you to let me GO!_" It would then fire another seed into Tatsuki's chest, causing her to tighten her grip as she grit her teeth.

"Tatsuki..!" Haruna would cry out as she looked up.

"_YOU SHIT! YOU SHIT! YOU FILTHY PIECE OF SHIT! YOU'RE NOT EVEN WORTH CONTROLLING! DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE! DIE RIGHT NOOOOOOOW!_" It would fire multiple seeds upon Tatsuki's body in a rapid succession, "_LET.. ME.. GO!_" Tatsuki would soon release her grip on the tentacle as she fell back, her body bleeding profusely, causing Haruna to quickly grab onto the head of one of the student's near her, pulling them off of her rather easily as she would use him to knock the rest off of her, showcasing her superhuman strength as she would then dash toward Tatsuki.

"TATSUKI!" Tears would be streaming down her face as she dashed over. Haruna would continue to cry out her name, as Tatsuki looked over to her, it slowly becoming more quiet to her ears.

'_Don't.. Cry.. Ha.. Ru.. Na.. Don't.. Cry.. Ha.. Ru.._' Tatsuki would open her mouth to speak, "..Na.." Haruna would then look down as she saw Tatsuki's foot fly into her stomach, causing her to double over and fall to her knees, throwing up her lunch. She would then look up toward Tatsuki with a sad look..

'_Not her too.._' Haruna had thought back to her past.

* * *

"When you grow older, Haruna.. You'll find someone that's very important to you.. Someone that would be loyal to you forever. When you find this person.. You have to make sure you value them with your life.."

_It was the last day of Junior High for Haruna Sairenji, as she was on the verge of tears as students had walked by, all murmuring over her and laughing at her._

_"So.. The daughter of the whore lovebirds is going to end up at our Highschool..? Man.. What a pain in the ass." A few students had all walked by, while Haruna had looked around, backing away as a few girls had cornered her. _

'I was bullied over that for the entirety of my time at Junior High.. It made me understand my father's words even less than I did before.. So.. I abandoned them..'

_"My dad says that before your mom got pregnant with your sister, they were having sex for straight days! I bet you're just gonna do the same thing at our school, aren't you?!"_

_"N-No.. I'm not.." Haruna had responded, looking down. She was always picked on because of her parent's history. They were in love, but in such a way that it had bothered those around them, as they would be together for every moment. It was hard to even imagine there being moments where they weren't together, even at home. This had caused everyone to bully Haruna throughout Junior High whenever she was by herself after her parents moved out of Sainan Town._

_"Bullshit! I've seen you ogling Yuki. You plan to make him your boy toy, huh?" They glared toward her, while Haruna had only cowered under their combined shadow. _

_"N-No.. I don't look at Yuki-kun like that.."_

_"Course you do! You're the daughter of whores!" The three of them would walk over to them and go to grab at her._

_"HEY!"_

_The three of them would turn their heads, looking to a slightly younger Tatsuki, also wearing her middle school uniform. "Leave her alone! She's just trying to have a normal life and you're getting onto her for crap she doesn't do! Get lost!" She would pop her knuckles as she walked toward them, all of them making a run for it as Haruna would look up to her, tears streaming down her eyes._

_"Hey. Don't listen to them. If you wanna gawk at Tatsuya, then go ahead. Just make sure to tell him what you see in him one day."_

_"Aren't you.. His ex..?"_

_"Yeah. And I'm telling you that you have my blessing. Don't brush off my words!"_

* * *

Haruna had been taking several kicks from Tatsuki, grunting and coughing blood. '_Tatsuki always.. Yelled at me when I got bullied.. Protected me.. Made sure I didn't get discouraged by what they said to me.. She also made me understand what those words meant.. And I promised myself I'd never lose faith in them again.. My faith in that lesson.. Is my faith in Tatsuki.._'

Haruna would tumble from the next kick that Haruna sent towards her, rolling across the ground as she had looked over to Tatsuki. '_Thank you.. Tatsuki.. You've protected me.. All year.. You've protected me from my own ignorance.. You've protected me from my own weakness.. Thank you.. Is all I could ever say.._' Upon seeing her state, Tatsuki widened her eye, tears streaming down her face.

'_Don't cry.. Anymore.._' Haruna would raise her hand, rubbing Tatsuki's cheek and smiling to her. '_Chizuru.. Yuki-kun.. Tatsuki.._' She would then sit up, looking to her as her bangs would fall out of her eyes' way, revealing the determination behind them. "From now on.. I'll keep _you _safe."

The Hollow would then look to her as suddenly the hairpin that was in the center of the hair clip that she had gotten after her conversation with Rito from Chapter 1 had shined brightly. Before it had split apart, causing a large gust of wind to form around her as it would soon create a tornado that would send out a powerful pulse that would cause the Hollow to brace itself before it would be blown away.

"_Wh- What.. The.. Hell..?!_' It would then look down with wide eyes as it's tentacle would be cut by the very wind.

"Tatsuki said.. You _picked on _the wrong person.. Now I'm telling you.. You _hurt _the wrong person_.._" The tornado would then be cut apart by the sound of her stomping, her looking over toward the Hollow with a powerful glare. "Anyone who makes Tatsuki cry.. I'll show no mercy to!" It would seem that a total of six bird-like creatures would be flying around her.

* * *

**The ****_Six Shielding Flowers (_**_**盾舜六花) **_**Have Blossomed For Their Spring.**

* * *

"After all that searching.. We _still _haven't found a single Hollow!" He looked over to Rukia. "I've had it with these damn false alarms! You've gotta do something about your damn pager!"

"You act like I'm causing this on purpose! This pager only relays orders sent to my Denreishinki!"

"Then _fix _that damn thing! Hell! I bet Lala could do that perfectly fine!"

"Her technology and mine work completely different!"

"Doesn't mean it's a bad idea for her to take a look at it!"

"EVERY ONE OF HER INVENTIONS CAUSES SOME KIND OF ACCIDENT!"

"Oh, yeah.." Rito would tap his chin, nodding to Rukia's point.

"My.. Is that squabbling I hear..?" The two of them looked over to see Uryu, who was wearing his House of the Silver Cross outfit, straightening his glasses as he walked over to them. "How unorderly.." He would then place his hands behind his back. "Good afternoon Yuki, Kuchiki."

"Who are you..?" Rito raised a brow. "What's with your outfit? You don't walk around normally in that, do ya?" He would then step forward a bit, reaching up toward his sword as he would notice that it wasn't a Plus they were talking to, and the feeling he got from his presence wasn't that of a regular person. "How do you know our names too..?"

"Hmm.." He would seem to be ignoring Rito, which would cause him to twitch his brow. "It would seem a Hollow is coming."

Rukia's pager would then suddenly begin beeping. "He's right! There _is _an order.. _Right here_!" Rito would then look to Rukia.

"Huh? Where?!"

Uryu would then throw his finger to the right. "Just over there.." He would then turn his head back toward Rito, narrowing his eyes. "Can you truly not even sense the presence of a weak Hollow..? Tch. You're pathetic. Even for a pseudo-Soul Reaper." Rito would then widen his eyes as he saw the cross on his wrist.

Uryu would then sling his cross upward, catching it in his hand as it would suddenly shoot out a bright blue light, forming the shape of a bow. He would then reach forward, grabbing the ring attached to the cross inside of the bow, pulling it back as an arrow made of pure blue light would form. As he kneeled down slightly, he would close his left eye, focusing on his target before he would release, letting the arrow fly forward as the ring would fly back, uniting with the cross as the arrow flung forward upon the ring clicking back onto the cross.

They both braced themselves as the wind that had shot out from the force of the arrow being shot had caused a massive gust flying over them. Soon, the arrow would fly across the city, soon striking a raptor like Hollow through the head, causing it's mask to shatter upon impact.

"The.. The order.. D.. Disappeared.."

Rito would then slowly look over toward Uryu, who would stand up from his previous position as the bow in his hand would retract to the cross. "What.. The hell are you..?"

"My name is Uryu Ishida.." He would then raise his arm a bit, showing them the cross. "I am a Quincy.." He would then clutch his fist. "..an inheritor of hatred for the Soul Reaper."

* * *

"_Y-_you_.. Show no mercy to _me_..?!_" For a moment, the Hollow had been shaken, but had recovered itself. "_Ho ho.. Where'd this sudden confidence of yours come from..?_" It would then stop as it would look closer to the area around her. "_What're those.. Little gnats.. Around you?_"

Haruna would then stop, looking around. "A-AGH! WHAT'RE THESE THINGS?! ARE THEY GHOSTS?! AGH!"

"_Did you not see them before?!_" The Hollow would sweatdrop.

"_No, that's not what we are, Haruna. It seems you've finally noticed_ _us.._"

"You talk too?!"

"_Calm down a second._" One of them would fly down and land on her shoulder, it sitting up and looking to her. "_It's nice to meet ya, Haruna!_" She would then look with a look of surprise as she saw all six of them look up to her, revealing they all had a human-like appearance themselves. "We're the _Shun Shun Rikka_, and our job is to protect you! We're the power you have!"

"Uh.. Huh.." Haruna would slowly nod, then jump back, throwing up her arms to shield herself. "FAIRIES! FAIRIES ARE TALKING TO ME! I'M GOING INSANE!"

"Nice~! That's a very good reaction. _But_. We're not fairies." She would fly over, tapping her nose. "We are the power that was born within your soul, awakened by a strong desire you've embed even your soul into. So. Essentially. We _are _you."

Haruna would nod, then quickly swat her away.

"OW!" The "fairy" would flail his arms around before it regained balance. "Hey! Just because you didn't get the explanation doesn't mean you need to act like that!"

"But why? What would my friends think if there are weird fairy things following me arou-"

"Relax. There's only a few people that can see us.. Including Tatsuya Yuki.."

"Yuki-kun..? Why?"

"You know the answer.. Remember back. We.. Were born because of him."

She widened her eyes. But then suddenly look up, seeing a tiny foot flying toward the "fairy" as it would strike her in the back.

"THIS IS NO TIME FOR INTRODUCTIONS!"

"Ow! T-That hurt, Tsubaki..!"

"Good. You should feel the pain of wasting precious time." He would then look to Haruna. "Woman. What you need to know isn't anything about who we are or where we came from!"

'_He's so small.. But so_ _commanding.._'

"What you _do _need to know, is how to use us!"

"_Use _you guys?"

"That's right!" Haruna would look over to see three, the muscular, the demon, and the third girl, who wore a visor. "Our job is to create a _shield _and to _reject _damage! To activate us, you need your heart and kotodama, or your spirit chant!"

"Koto.. Wha..?" Haruna tilted her head.

"Here it comes." Tsubaki looked, cross armed.

"_Hey.. Little girl.._" The Hollow would then fire a wave of seeds toward her. "_..did you forget about me?!_"

"OOOOOOOOKAY~! We're ready, Haruna!" The demon jumped forward. "Just call our names! I'm _Hinagaku_!"

"I'm _Baigon_!" The muscular would call out.

"And I'm _Lily_!"

"What's.. Uh.. Huh..?!"

"Relax! Relax! Just calm down and repeat after me." Haruna nodded. "Hinagiku, Baigon, Lily!"

"H-Hinagiku, Baigon, Lily!"

"SANTEN KESSHUN!" They said in unison as the three had all flown forward into three separate corners, seeming to form a triangular setup.

"I.."

"Reject!" Haruna called out, the three of the Shun Shun Rikka fairies all projecting waves of orange reishi gathering in the form of a triangle as the seeds would explode upon contact with the barrier.

"Wooh! Full on fireworks!" Haruna would then look over to the Shun Shun Rikka in front of her, who would turn to her with a grin. "That was their power. To reject what's _beyond _the barrier."

"Reject..?"

"_The hell just happened?!_" The Hollow would look to the barrier with wide eyes.

"And the two of us.. Reject what's _behind _the barrier. Basically, we reject destruction in any area behind the shield. Basically, we can reverse any damage done to a person within the shield." She would look over to Haruna. "Now. Say _our _names. I'm Shuno, and she's Ayame." The other girl, who wore a long pink dress over her body, nodded.

"Shuno.. Ayame.."

"Now repeat the Kotodama! SOTEN KISHUN!"

"I.. Reject!" Haruna would then widen her eyes as she saw the seeds inside Tatsuki's body crumble as the wounds in her body faded away. "T-Tatsuki..?!"

"Shut up, woman. We still have an enemy to fight." Tsubaki would look forward, narrowing it's eyes toward the Hollow. "My ability is to tear a hole _into _the opponent, create a shield, then _reject _the union of matter that holds their body together. Or in simple terms, I reject _both sides _of the shield." He would then stretch out his wings, flying forward. "NOW SAY IT! THE NAME'S TSUBAKI!"

"Tsubaki! KOTEN ZANSHUN!" Haruna would throw her hand forward as Tsubaki would fly straight for the Hollow, flying into the hole over it's mask. "I REJECT!" Soon, a bright orange light would emanate from its body before a explosion of orange light would shine through the center of it's body, showing that it has been successfully cut in half.

Haruna would breathe heavily as she watched the Hollow crumble, falling to her knees as a bead of sweat dropped downed her cheek. "Did I.. Do that..?" She would then look upwards, smiling to herself, before falling backwards, passing out on the ground.

"Haruna?!"

"Hey! Woman!"

The Shun Shun Rikka flew over to Haruna, watching over her to observe her status, but then realized that she had only passed out. "Oh.. All of that must have drained her stamina."

"Oh well, she'll get stronger."

"Well, then.. For now.. We must return."

The six of them would soon fly over her, before shrinking down and returning to their hairpin state.

Soon, a tall, lean man with light skin and gray eyes had walked out from the shadows, looking down to Haruna. His hair was messy and light-blond (almost pale), with strands framing the sides of the face and hanging between his eyes, and he had chin stubble. He wore what seemed to be a dark green Shihakushō without an undershirt. Over this, he wears a black haori, which sports a white diamond pattern along its bottom half. He wore a pair of traditional Japanese wooden sandals and a striped, dark green and white bucket hat.

* * *

**\- END -**

* * *

_"Wow.. I didn't know you had to go through that, Sairenji.. I'm sorry to hear that.." - Rito  
__"R-Really, Yuki-kun..?" - Haruna  
__"Hey.. I'm going to get more focus next Chapter, right..?" - Chad  
__"H-Hey! This is an important moment!" - Haruna  
_

_Rito (Art. Soul) would be skipping across town, a happy expression on his face as he would be jumping across buildings. Before he had stopped at the playground, where he saw three kids on their game consoles. After watching them for a moment, he would twitch his brow, before he began yelling at them._

_"Ah, yeah, of course, Chad! You're my favorite Bleach character!" - Red  
"A-are you just going to ignore the fact that he interrupted us?!" - Haruna  
"What's up, Sairenji? I've never seen you so upset befo-" - Rito  
"It's nothing, Yuki-kun! Don't worry about it, everything's fine!" - Haruna  
_

_Yui would step in Rito (Art. Soul)'s path, who would trip and fall on top of her, causing the two of them to be caught in what seemed to be a sixty-nine position, while where the both of them had caught onto caused their hands to pull at certain parts of each other's clothing, while Yui's face turned bright red._

_"Wait a minute! I thought _I _was your favorite character?! Isn't that why you introduced me first and skipped Chad's introductory arc with the parakeet?" - Uryu  
"You've got cool abilities, Uryu, but Chad is Chad." - Red  
"Gotta agree with that." - Rito  
_

_Rito in Shinigami and Uryu in his House of the Silver Cross uniform had stood, glaring each other down._

_"That's still canon.. It just happened offscreen." - Chad  
"Wait. Was it really?" - Uryu  
"Yeah, Ishida. You should pay attention to the story more. Red explained that in Chapter Two." - Rito  
"Yeah.. If I remember correctly.. It was right after your cameo.." - Chad  
"Didn't he also say that the Substitute Shinigami Arc was gonna be super short?" - Uryu  
"Well, now he's found a reason to make it longer. So why not just go along with it, Uryu?" - Yashiro  
_

_A muscular Hollow would charge toward Mikan, throwing a heavy punch before it stopped, Mikan looking up to the see that Chad had blocked the punch with his back, seeming to be grunting a bit._

_"Ooh! We're doing that thing they do in the Anime where the characters have conversations while the preview plays, right?! Hey everybody~!" - Risa  
"Ooh! Ooh! I wanna be a part of this too!" - Lala  
"Well, usually it's only just two or three people.." - Rito  
"But, Rito! This is the first one! We should all have a part!" - Lala_  
_ "She's right, ya know." - Rukia_  
_"Great, the troublemakers are in an agreement.." - Rito_

_Risa and Mio would be walking by, before they looked over to see Rito (Art. Soul) butting heads with another male with nearly pale light blue hair on the top while there was a layer of blue on the bottom. Before Rito would trip, falling on top of him as the two would then be in a rather awkward position on the seesaw.. To make matters worse.. Their lips were in contact._

_"THIS IS WAY TOO DAMN LONG NOW! LET'S JUST GET AHEAD TO THE EXPLANATION OF THE CHAPTER!" - Rito  
"Guess you're right about that." - Red  
_ _"Don't forget about letting us know about things that will happen next chapter!" - Lala_  
_"That's what this is, Lala.." - Rito_  
_"Ohhhh." - Lala_

_Rito in his Shinigami form would have_ _Rito (Art. Soul)__ by the collar, gripping him tightly as the two had both carried tick marks on the side of their head, whilst the one in the other's grasp had a smirk, while the Shinigami Rito had a scowl._

_"Ugh! You all have such weak uniformity! It's interrupting things!" - Yui  
"Hold on. Does this mean there'll be an opening sequence next chapter?" - Rito_  
_"You're getting too far ahead of yourself, now.." - Red_  
_"Wait, why is mine so short?!" - Yui_

_The two of them would then jump back as a Hollow had slammed their fist down on the roof they were on, Shinigami Rito grasping at the hilt of the sword on his back, gritting his teeth, telling the other Rito something, but it was inaudible, as the other had nodded and took off into the distance. _

_"I dunno. Maybe it's because you nag so much." - Rito  
"I do _not _nag! I give discipline!" - Yui  
"You guys are like lovebirds." - Mizuiro  
"NO WE AREN'T!" - Rito & Yui_

_Rukia would walk toward the small candy shop she had the oth__er day, narrowing her eyes as she stepped inside, greeted by the male with the striped hat. He would greet her with a smile, whilst flapping the fan in hand over his face as Rukia stepped inside of the shop, closing the door behind her._

_"Rito.. You lucky bastard.. I ship it!" - Saruyama  
"Shut up, you pervert!" - Risa & Mio  
"Did you guys seriously have to team up on him..?" - Rito  
_

_Rito (Art. Soul), Lala in the Sainan High uniform, and Chad were all standing in front of a Hollow, that had been glaring down at them attempting to punch down toward them, but Lala had summoned from her phone what looked to be a wand, which she would tap the bat in Rito's hand with, causing it to become more mechanical and gain three rocket boosters, which Rito would rush forward and go to smack the Hollow which, however, it would send them both flying upwards, causing them to both fall and hit their hits in the same baseball field. _

_"Hey, what's that artificial soul doin' in my body next episode?!" - Rito  
"Nothing good, it would seem." - Yui  
"I could try and get it for you, Yuki-kun." - Haruna  
"I'd rather not have my self confidence be dropped by watching you overpower it easily." - Rito  
"Wait, what..?" - Haruna  
"No, what I meant was.. Uh.. I can do it by myself! Don't worry about it.." - Rito  
_

_It would then transition to Chad emerging from smoke with his arm in a new black and red form, which he would punch the Hollow with, causing a large explosion that would eradicate it instantly, sending a huge wave of gust that would have once again sent Rito flying if not for Lala catching him and seemingly cheering for Chad._

_"Hmm.." - Chad  
"What is that arm that Chad's getting?! I want a cool power like that!" - Rito  
"You already have one.." - Mikan  
"I do?! Oh.. Yeah. The Zanpakuto." - Rito  
"_My_ Zanpakuto you mean?" - Rukia  
"Yeah yeah.." - Rito  
_

_Rito, with an annoyed face, and a bandage on his cheek, had looked to the candy from the beginning of the episode, then he would turn toward a pile of garbage, seeing a stuffed lion and then looking to Rukia, who shrugged._

_"HEH?! I ONLY GET TO ROAM AROUND FOR ONE CHAPTER?! YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME! IN THE ORIGINAL MANGA IT WAS MORE THAN ONE!" - Rito (Art. Soul)  
"Ah, shut it. You're getting put in, aren't ya? It's better than going the movie route and taking you out entirely." - Rito  
"What?! Wait! We need to seriously talk about this! THIS IS A SERIOUS MATTER!" - Rito  
_

_Rito would step outside, turning over and seeing a girl with __hot pink eyes and long, light green hair with two points sticking out at the top. Her body appears slender and curvy._

_"Hmm.. Alright. I think that's good, guys." - Red_

_On a rooftop, stood a shadowy figure, the most notable feature of hers would be her long blonde hair that had reached down to her back, and her child-like physique._

_"Wait a minute.. Why am I the last person who gets to speak?! … You guys?!" - Keigo  
_


	5. New Life Acknowledgement (1)

_"My.. Is that squabbling I hear..?" The two of them looked over to see Uryu, who was wearing his House of the Silver Cross outfit, straightening his glasses as he walked over to them. "How unorderly.." He would then place his hands behind his back. "Good afternoon Yuki, Kuchiki."_

_"Who are you..?" Rito raised a brow._

_"This guy showed up outta nowhere when me and Rukia were havin' a serious conversation!" - Rito  
"I don't recall your squabbling to seem like a serious topic." - Uryu  
"Shut up! You didn't even listen to all of it, so of course you don't!" - __Rito_

_Uryu would then sling his cross upward, catching it in his hand as it would suddenly shoot out a bright blue light, forming the shape of a bow. He would then reach forward, grabbing the ring attached to the cross inside of the bow, pulling it back as an arrow made of pure blue light would form. As he kneeled down slightly, he would close his left eye, focusing on his target before he would release, letting the arrow fly forward as the ring would fly back, uniting with the cross as the arrow flung forward upon the ring clicking back onto the cross._

_They both braced themselves as the wind that had shot out from the force of the arrow being shot had caused a massive gust flying over them. Soon, the arrow would fly across the city, soon striking a raptor like Hollow through the head, causing it's mask to shatter upon impact._

_"The.. The order.. D.. Disappeared.."_

_Rito would then slowly look over toward Uryu, who would stand up from his previous position as the bow in his hand would retract to the cross. "What.. The hell are you..?"_

_"My name is Uryu Ishida.." He would then raise his arm a bit, showing them the cross. "I am a Quincy.." He would then clutch his fist. "..an inheritor of hatred for the Soul Reaper."_

_"Hey. What are you anyway, Ishida?" - Rito  
"Didn't you pay attention? I said I was a Quincy." - Uryu  
"You must learn to be more perceptive, Tatsuya." - Rukia  
"MY ASS!" - Rito_

_"Y-you_.. Show no mercy to _me_..?!_" For a moment, the Hollow had been shaken, but had recovered itself. "_Ho ho.. Where'd this sudden confidence of yours come from..?_" It would then stop as it would look closer to the area around her. "_What're those.. Little gnats.. Around you?_"_

_Haruna would then stop, looking around. "A-AGH! WHAT'RE THESE THINGS?! ARE THEY GHOSTS?! AGH!"_

_"_Did you not see them before?!_" The Hollow would sweatdrop._

_"_No, that's not what we are, Haruna. It seems you've finally noticedus.._"_

_"You talk too?!"_

_"_Calm down a second._" One of them would fly down and land on her shoulder, it sitting up and looking to her. "It's nice to meet ya, Haruna!" She would then look with a look of surprise as she saw all six of them look up to her, revealing they all had a human-like appearance themselves. "We're the Shun Shun Rikka, and our job is to protect you! We're the power you have!"_

_"Uh.. Huh.." Haruna would slowly nod, then jump back, throwing up her arms to shield herself. "FAIRIES! FAIRIES ARE TALKING TO ME! I'M GOING INSANE!"_

_"S-Suddenly some fairies showed up out of nowhere and started talking to me!" - Haruna  
"I told you, we're not fairies! We're your power!" - Shuno  
"AGH!" - Haruna  
_

_"H-Hinagiku, Baigon, Lily!"_

_"SANTEN KESSHUN!" They said in unison as the three had all flown forward into three separate corners, seeming to form a triangular setup._

_"I.."_

_"Reject!" Haruna called out, the three of the Shun Shun Rikka fairies all projecting waves of orange reishi gathering in the form of a triangle as the seeds would explode upon contact with the barrier._

_"Wooh! Full on fireworks!" Haruna would then look over to the Shun Shun Rikka in front of her, who would turn to her with a grin. "That was their power. To reject what's beyond the barrier."_

_"Shuno.. Ayame.."_

_"Now repeat the Kotodama! SOTEN KISHUN!"_

_"I.. Reject!" Haruna would then widen her eyes as she saw the seeds inside Tatsuki's body crumble as the wounds in her body faded away. "T-Tatsuki..?!"_

_"Tsubaki! KOTEN ZANSHUN!" Haruna would throw her hand forward as Tsubaki would fly straight for the Hollow, flying into the hole over it's mask. "I REJECT!" Soon, a bright orange light would emanate from its body before a explosion of orange light would shine through the center of it's body, showing that it has been successfully cut in half._

_Haruna would breathe heavily as she watched the Hollow crumble, falling to her knees as a bead of sweat dropped downed her cheek. "Did I.. Do that..?" She would then look upwards, smiling to herself, before falling backwards, passing out on the ground._

_"I was able to beat that monster with the help of the fairies.." - Haruna  
"I'm pretty sure they weren't fairies." - Tatsuki  
"Who cares?! You did a great job, Haruna-chan~!" - Chizuru  
"Aren't the two of you supposed to be unconscious..?" - Shun'o  
"Stop worrying over minor details!" - Tsubaki_

_Mikan looked around. Currently, she was on the back of a teenager of Mexican and Japanese descent. He is dark-skinned with pronounced cheek-bones and has wavy brown hair with bangs that hung over his eyes. It was also notable that he was a muscular and extremely tall man and appears to be much older than he actually is. He was wearing a pink short-sleeved dress shirt with red flower patterns tattered over it with the collar open enough to see his chest, while his pants were simply the standard grey complimented by a pair of black running shoes. This was Yasutora Sado, or, as his friends called him, Chad._

_"Ya know.. I haven't seen Rito at all.. You'd think he'd be done with those chores by now.."_

_"..mhm.."_

_"You think we should head to school to check it out?"_

_"..."_

_"Well?"_

_"..sure."_

_"That's not an answer!"_

_Mikan would bonk Chad on the head lightly, sweatdropping. "Ya know, you've always been like that.."_

_"I guess.." Chad had shrugged lightly. The two would continue walking away from the Sainan First Elementary School, which was where Mikan attended classes, heading toward Sainan High. Unbeknownst to them however, there was a large bipedal Hollow with an extremely muscular body watching over them._

_"Come on, Chad!" - Mikan  
"..mhm." - Chad  
"GIVE ME A REAL RESPONSE, CHAD!" - Mikan_

* * *

A male with hot pink eyes and the top of his hair is white with two points sticking out, while the bottom back part is black. His attire consisted of that of a Sainen High Uniform, though equiped with a pin on his chest that would have the Devilukean symbol on it.

The male would look at a picture of a small girl with bubblegum pink hair who had been in a dress that seemed to be just her size that had lacked sleeves, whilst she had also carried a screwdriver in her hand with the Deviluke symbol on the side of it.

"Ah.. Dear Lala-chan.. Why won't you be my bride..?"

He would then clutch his fist, looking to the side. "Oh, yes. I know. Because your heart has been thieved by a filthy scoundrel.. Whose name is Tatsuya Yuki.." He would look to his phone, which would carry a Deviluke symbol on the back with many different gem shaped designs tattered over the case, scrolling through a wave of texts about times Lala had spent with Rito.

"..I'll make Lala-chan see.. I'm a _much _better groom for her than him.. For I am Ren Elsie Jewelria!" He would slam his fist on the desk he sat by, dust kicking up and causing Ren to gasp a bit, before a powerful sneeze would be released and the dust spread all over him.

* * *

"Rito" would continue to use it to skip high over buildings, a wide smirk on his face.

"YAHOO! This feels _great_! I'm finally in a living body!" After jumping off a few buildings, he would then flip downwards to land on a playground, looking around as he stood in a crouched position atop the swing as he looked over to see three kids playing on their portable consoles.

"Maaan.. School today was _awful_." The first would say, who was button mashing in a constant manner.

"Yeah, tell me about it. Yuki wouldn't stop getting onto us every time we tried to do something.. I think she's a snitch." The one in the center, who had been on the chubby end, had spoke.

"Yeah, Mikan? She's a total pain, it bugs me." The third, who wore a pair of square frame glasses. He would then grit his teeth as he sighed. "Man..! I lost again! Who do you think made ya, huh?"

"Oh, well, why don'cha just delete 'im, then?"

"Yeah. You're right. Characters that don't obey their controllers really should just die off." The three of them had laughed loudly, whilst the one possessing Rito's body had only gawked, his eyes slowly widening.

"And.. done!"

"Wow. Ya totally deleted him."

"Yeah, but it's alright though. I'll just make a better one!"

"Rito" would then stand, lifting his leg and slamming it into the pole of the swing below him, bending it slightly, causing the kids to jump at the sound of the metal creaking.

"W-WAGH! W-whaddoya want..? W-why're ya standin' up there..?"

"Wait.. I know him.. H-He's Yuki's older brother!"

"Did he hear what we said!? O-Oh no.. We've gotta run! Didya see what he did to the swing?!"

"W-Was that with his leg..?!"

The artificial soul would then kick off, flying forward a bit before somersaulting in midair before landing in front of the three, slowly looking up toward them with a glare, his silence only proving more menacing for the children.

* * *

"JAN..." At the Candy Shop Rukia had been shown to visit during Chapter 2, there were two individuals who seemed to be relative to Mikan's age. The first was a small boy with red hair. He wore a white t-shirt with the Urahara Shop logo printed on the front and blue three-quarter length trousers, the bottoms of which were noticeably turned up. The other was a young-looking girl with a perpetual blush on her cheeks who wore a white t-shirt with the Urahara Shop logo in pink print and a knee-length, pink skirt with white dots. She had round purple eyes and long, black hair with a purple tint. It was parted down the middle, with two strands of her bangs in the center of her face, opposing each other. The rest of her hair is in pigtails with pink ties.. The both of them had seemed to be in a game of Jan-Ken-Po, or Rock-Paper-Scissors.

"KEN..." The girl would pull her fist back silently, looking toward the center where their hands would meet and match one another, while the boy had grown a vein on the side of his head as he arched his arm back, almost seeming as though he was preparing to throw a punch.

"POI!" The two's hands had met at the center, the boy winning against the girl's scissors with rock, as he would then throw his hand out to the distance. "Hey! Look out there!" Although, she hadn't moved an inch from her previous position, seeming to be like a statue.

"Darn! You're a lot more tenacious than I thought you would be! Alright. _Again_!"

"JAN! KEN! POI!" The two's hands would then compete once more, the girl's paper defeating the boy's scissors. "Look up there, Jinta." She would point her fingers upwards, causing the now named Jinta to shoot his head upwards to where she was pointing, causing her to smile brightly as she pulled out a broom. "Looks like I win, that means you've got the cleaning to do today!"

However, his response would be to grab and pull at the sides of her hair. "Nuh uh! It's the best out of three, Ururu!"

"But Jinta.. You already lost the 14 times before.."

"DID YA NOT HEAR ME!? I SAID IT AIN'T OVER! SO WHAT IF IT'S 14 LOSSES! EVERYBODY KNOWS IT'S THE 15TH TIME THAT COUNTS! COME ON! PLAY ME AGAIN! WHAT'S THE MATTER?! CHICKEN?!" Jinta would response as he shook Ururu by her pigtails violently.

"Ow! That's not fair, though- Ow! I don't wanna play anymore, Ji- OWW!"

Jinta would then stop as he noticed a tug at the bag of his shirt, looking behind him and soon squirming in a panic as he was brought up 10 feet into the air by a tall, muscular, lightly tan-skinned man. His hair was cornrowed and he had a large handlebar mustache, which is connected to his long sideburns. He wore a pair of rectangular-shaped glasses. His attire consisted of a white muscle shirt with regular brown jean pants and a blue apron. The look of his eyes behind his glasses was completely unknown, as the glass within the lenses hadn't revealed them, however, his serious frown had still been apparent.

"Mr. Jinta.. What is it you are doing?"

"U-Uh.. It's nothing.. Nothing at all.. Definitely nothing, Mr. Tessai, sir!"

"Out of my way, fools." The moment would be broken by the silence that followed when Rukia's foot had struck Tessai's rear end. Who would then retreat a few feet, holding her foot and blowing at it silently, remarking mentally how it felt like she was kicking a wall. She had come to gather information on the stranger that had approached her and Rito earlier, as she had immediately headed to the shop for information. Tessai would turn his head to see who it was, as he had then set Jinta down.

"Oh. Ms. Kuchiki. What can I do for you?" Tessai had asked, which Rukia would look up toward him with a wince.

"Where's.. Kisuke?"

* * *

"Come on, Chad!" Chad had stopped at the next crossroad, looking around, while Mikan had simply been bonking him on the head.

"Hmm.." He would make a quiet remark as he continued to look around, seeming to be in search of something.

"Eh? What's up, Chad?"

"I've got.. A bad feeling." Chad had clutched his fist. Mikan only raising a brow in response.

"Alright, well, I've got a bad feeling too! And it has to do with the fact that someone who looks a lot like my brother is jumping around buildings while he's missing!" Mikan tried to pull at Chad's cheeks, but had no succession in doing so as he would attempt to kick at his chest with the back of her foot, only for it to fail as well. "U- What're you made of, Chad?!"

Before Chad could make a response, a sudden gust of wind came from behind them as they turned to see dust rising heavily in an upward fashion, seeming to make the shape of a geyser as the wind from it had been enough to make Chad skid lightly.

"W-What was that?! A gas explosion or something..?!" Mikan had held onto Chad as he had looked closer into what was within the dust, seeming to only see a vague silhouette made of an unidentified heat. However, what Mikan could see was different. It had been a large bipedal Hollow with an extremely muscular body, easily dwarfing the 6'5"1/2 tall Chad. Its arms noticeably widen as they progress from his shoulders, culminating in almost cube-shaped fists as big as his mask. Its skin was gray, with dark S-shaped markings running from his shoulders to the middle of his back. His Hollow hole is located in the middle of his chest. Its mask also resembled the face of a Guardian Lion.

'_What.. What is this..? This feeling, it's.._' Chad had widened his eyes at the presence of the creature, and how it had barely been a blur to him. '_Why is it just.. That one spot..?_' He would then narrow his eyes. '_Something's there. I just know it. This feeling.. It's familiar.._'

The Hollow would then huff, raising it's fist and throwing it outward toward Chad.

"CHAD! LOOK OUT!"

Upon Mikan's shout, Chad would step to the side just enough to avoid Mikan being touched by it's fist as he would look over to what he could see of it, spinning around quickly.

'_Is it after me..? Hmm.. I can't risk Mikan's life here.._' He would take a moment to think over his next move, before spinning around and dashing off into the distance, Mikan looking back towards the creature while holding onto Chad as it would chase behind. '_I have no idea what that thing is.. But it's after me.. So if I can get lose it and then get Mikan somewhere safe, then I can lead 'im somewhere far off._'

* * *

"Rito" would be walking away from the playground, hands pocketed.

"Geez.. Those damn kids were annoying.. Well. Good thing they ran away. I was actually kind of tempted to go ahead and give 'em all a taste of my foot. Ah, well. That woulda been bad if I did."

"TATSUYA YUKI!" "Rito" would turn as he saw Ren storming towards him. What "Rito" would take the most notice of, was that he wore a uniform that was much similar to the one he had currently worn.

"Eh? Who the hell are you?"

"Well! I'm so glad you asked! I'm Ren! Ren Elsie Jewelria! I am the one who shall be taking Lala in the end, and not you!"

"La..la..?" "Rito" had tilted his head, He hadn't known of the pink haired trouble that who's body he possessed had been forcefully betrothed with for the sake of the planet.

"Yes, Lala! She is to be _my _bride and you won't get in the way of that, Yuki!" He raised his fist toward him, to which he had twitched his brow.

"Listen, pal, I don't know what you're talkin' abou-"

"Oh! Rito~!" He would then look up to see Lala waving toward him as she had walked over toward him, wearing the Sainan High Uniform, with Risa and Mio in tow.

"Hey, Rito~ Look who we found lookin' for ya~?"

"You've gotta let us in on the details!"

The uniform had easily been noted to be produced through artificial means, seeing as Peke had been Lala's hairpin. However, what "Rito" had seen in particular..

'_WOAH! IT'S A PAIR OF _MELONS_! I HAVEN'T BEEN IN CONTACT WITH A REAL WOMAN IN SO LONG.. THOSE ARE MORE THAN I'VE _EVER _EXPECTED! I _must _be in Heaven!_'

He would then widen his eyes as Ren had already beaten him to rushing over to her, kneeling as he grasped her hand lightly, placing a kiss upon it. "I've finally found you, Lala-chan.. My dear bride.."

"..heh?" "Rito"raised a brow.

"Woah!" Risa and Mio would both widen their eyes.

"Dear Lala-chan.. I could recognize with just a glance.. The way your light spreads even through the largest crowds.." He would smile as he had slowly stood, smiling. "You're beauty has only grown stronger from the days you were playing in Royal Palace gardens.. Alongside the radiating smile that would always shine on my heart, no, my _soul _with it's light. My, you really _are _a Goddess!"

"'Ey, you just wait a minute! I think she was talkin' to me!"

"Wonder what's goin' on before us.."

"A guy from the past has appeared and the male of affection is in shock?!" Mio and Risa would then look to each other, grinning to one another with a slight drool.

"I smell the taste of a juicy love triangle!"

"Yeah! An extra spicy story of love and hatred!"

"..the hell are you two on about..?" "Rito" would then shake his head, before looking over to see Ren suddenly burst in joy.

"AH, YES! THIS IS THE MOST JOYOUS OF REUNIONS! C'mon, Lala-chan! Bask in joy with me!"

"So.. I get you know my name and all, but uh.. Who are you..?" Lala's response had caused a flatline to go off in Ren's mind.

"No.. It couldn't be.. You don't remember me..?!" He fell to the ground in utter despair. "But.. We've played together since we were but children.." "Rito" couldn't help but laugh at him.

"God! You made such a big fuss just to end up sad on your ass!"

"Regardless." He would stand. "I am a man. Therefore my pain shall fade in no time."

'_That's not how pain works, pal!_' "Rito" gawked.

"Anyways, Lala-chan. I've heard that there's an evil man that has you fooled by sweet words.." He would quickly spin, his finger now pointed at "Rito" with intensity. "The one you call _Rito_. Tatsuya Yuki!"

"Heh? The hell'd I do?"

"It seems you aren't aware.. Of the intimate relationship me and Lala-chan have.. Then take a look at this, why don't you?!" Ren would quickly reach into his shirt's inner pocket, swiping out a photo of what could be seen as him and Lala as kids, albeit they were _both _wearing large dresses, and Ren seemed to be on the verge of tears from embarrassment.

"Oh! That _is _me as a kid!" Lala had looked over "Rito"'s shoulder, who had been able to gather this upon short inspection, but then looked up to Ren.

"Yeah, but why are _you _in a dress in this photo?"

"OH! I remember now!" Lala had placed a hand on her mouth, giggling. "You're crybaby Ren-chan!"

"Ah, yes. It's good you've remembered, Lala-chan.." He nodded with a smile. "You see.. Lala-chan always dressed me up and teased me saying I looked like a girl. She even tested her experiments on me every day that passed. But even so.. I asked for her hand in marriage if I had gotten manlier, and she had agreed upon that condition! Therefore, Yuuki.. I challenge you to a duel of manlihoo-"

"No way in hell, man."

"Heh-? Why not..?"

"That's just not my style, man." "Rito" shrugged. He came out here for freedom, not competition. Ah, well. The guy would keep coming and he only had limited time with this body at the rate this was going in.

"Yuuki, you basta-" He would run towards him in attempts to throw a punch toward him, however, "Rito"'s sidestep movement ended up causing Ren to trip, the two only looking at each other for a moment before they both went downwards.

Chu~

"Wow, I didn't know you two got along so well~!" Lala smiled innocently.

"This is spicy~!"

* * *

At the House of the White Cross home, there were several in white outfits walking around, following through with their afternoon routines as Yashiro had been walking across the first floor hall, accompanied by a bespectacled young woman with orange eyes and, long light brown hair tied into two pony tails that had seemed to link to one another in the form of a pair of wings that would parallel the ribbon they were tied with. She could also be noted to have a very bold, curvaceous figure, alongside a young man with very long black hair, which covers most of his forehead, and all of his back. He has yellow eyes that seem to have no life in them as they seem devoid of life, both wearing similar outfits to Yashiro, albeit less decorative.

"Hey, Chiaki."

"Sir." The long haired male had looked to him.

"Has Uryu come back yet?"

"No, sir. He has yet to return from Sainan High."

"Figured so. Ah, well." He shrugged, placing his hands in his pockets. The female would then look to Chiaki, raising a brow.

"Why are you so formal with Yashi-kun, huh? He told us we didn't have to be." She tapped her chin.

"I simply give our leader the proper respect he deserves, whether he wishes for me to or not." Chiaki would response, scoffing to her question.

"Now, now, Kurumi. Don't get on Chiaki simply because he's doin' his own thing." Yashiro had taken out a hand from his pocket, rubbing his neck with it, the cross that hung from his wrist bouncing off his skin at each step.

"Ah, well, if you say so, Yashi-kun." She shrugged, before the three had entered the center room, which they had all looked around to see that there were several children in panic.

"Hm..? Wonder what's going on here.." Kurumi tapped her chin.

"Huh.. They only freak out like this when something's missing.." Chiaki gazed over the room.

"Well.. Better find out _what _before they go like this all night." Yashiro had stepped forward, stopping at the center of the room before from the ground, several ribbons had arisen, flying around the room and attaching to the walls, blue light flowing through them back to the ground, Yashiro widening his eyes.

* * *

"HOW SHAMELESS!" "Rito" would find himself pulled off of Ren, who he was about to get up and begin kicking ruthlessly, by Yui, who had a scowl on her face. "Yuki! What are you doing out in the open in a position like that?!"

"I'm a man.. I'm a man.. I'm a man.." Ren had lowered his head in shame.

"Ah- Well- I was actually wondering that myself."

"_Yes. A rather strange ordeal indeed._"

"..did her hairpin just talk..?"

"I'm just as confused as you are. But on a further note.." He would then turn around, looking closer toward her with a blink. "You're kinda cute up close.

"W-wha-"

Upon her attempt to push him away in response to her face madly reddening, she had slipped on his shoe, causing her to fall into "Rito"'s chest and cause the both of them to have a domino effect as he had shouted a bit in protest against it as the two of them were forced to succumb to gravity.

"U.. Ugh.."

Lala would look down and blink as she saw that Yui's body was completely over "Rito"'s body, as his face had been smothered over by her breasts, while his fingers had been sliding into her panties from the rear, only ending up fondling her glute underneath when he attempted to move his hand. She had then tilted her head as Peke had once again sweatdropped.

'_How.. How does someone even fall into a position like that..?_'

Yui had looked down to what had been occurring, as a blush had been spreading over her face in quick succession as she had then tried to pull herself up, causing her to only moan a slight bit as "Rito" he squeezed in response to her movement, before he had slowly slid his hands out, not wanting to accidentally do anything more.

"I.. I have nothing to say except that.. That was utterly shameless.."

"..is it wrong for me to say I enjoyed th-"

"PERVERT!"

The sound of a loud slap could echo through the playground.

"_Huh.. That worked out rather smoothly compared to how I imagined it would go._"

"Are you ok, Rito? That looked like it hurt."

"Ah, no, it's fine." "Rito" had rubbed his face with a bright smile on his face. '_God. I lost my ability to breathe cuz of some jugs.. And got a hold of a sweet, sweet ass, today is awesome~!_'

"Rito? Is that a nickname..?" Yui would question, to which Lala would nod.

"I thought it would be a cute name to call him! I'm really good at naming things on the spot! Like my Peke here!" She would point to her hairpin, which would tilt a bit to represent a greeting gesture. "Although.. He does sometimes get mad when I call him that.."

'_Maybe because the name Rito literally means _Pear_.._' "Rito" sweatdropped, he already understood why such a name would be inconvenient.

Yui would slowly nod. "Ah.. I suppose I should introduce myself. I am Yui Kotegawa."

"Oh, nice to meet you, Yui! I'm Lala!" She would spin in a cheerful fashion, which would almost cause Yui to miss the tail she had seen for a moment as she tilted her head.

"Is that some sort of cosplay..?"

'_Cosplay?! Sounds ho-_'

"Uh- Ah! Yeah! Sure, let's go with that!"

'_What kind of response was that..? Kinda makes me curious._'

"Well _these _are definitely real!" "Rito" would then widen his eyes as he saw Risa envelop Lala's breasts with her hands as she would squeeze and fondle them.

"H-Hey, s-stop that!" Lala had protested, though Risa persisted.

'_Woah.. I'm watchin' two hot babes get down on each other.. Should I intervene..? I don't know what to do anymore!_'

"Unhand her this instant!"

"STOP THAT SHAMELESS BEHAVIOR!" Yui would step forward, prying Risa off of Lala, who would breathe heavily and sigh in relief. "Well.. Now that that is settled." Yui had sweatdropped, but then cleared her throat and looked to Lala with a brow raised. "Doesn't _Rito _mean pear? What caused you to choose that name for Yuki?"

"I have no idea. At first, it was just a name I threw at him at the spot because it came to me when I saw his face, and I went more with it after getting more in tone with the culture here in Japan, and learned what it actually meant. I found out that Rito meant _pear _and Mikan meant _orange_." "_Beautiful Orange, to be specific, Lala-sama._" Lala nodded to Peke's comment, smiling. "So I found it adorable that Rito's nickname would be Rito!"

"So.. Lala.. What exactly brings you to our school?"

"Rito, of course! If I wanna spend more time with betrothed, then I've gotta be where he is, right?!" She would hug onto, who she thought was, Rito, submerging his arm between her breast.

'_WOAH! I dunno this Rito guy personally, but _damn _is he lucky!_'

"Ah. I'll catch you guys later. Me and Mio are gonna go head for that Karaoke place before it closes!" Risa waved to the group, which they would all respond in kind as they would then look back to each other, before they had heard footsteps, turning to see someone with a little girl on his back, seeming to be running away from something.

* * *

_**Through Heart and Soul: To-Love**_** _Ru  
_Chapter 5 | New Life Acknowledgement, Part 1 ~ right arm of the giant ~**

* * *

Rito had raised a brow toward Uryu. "I'm sorry.. What was it you just said..?"

Uryu had straightened his glasses. "I suppose you have less of an attention span than I thought." He would then looked up to Rito, who's brow had been twitching violently. "I. Am Uryu Ishida. A _Quincy_. I _hate _Soul Reapers. Do you know what that means, Yuki..?" He would then lower his hand from his face, his bangs overshadowing his face. "I.. _Hate_.. You."

"Tch.. Who the hell do you think you are?! No. _What _the hell do you think you are?! That's no way for you introduce yourself, ya damn bastard! I should kick your ass right here and now for that!" He would try and stomp towards him, but stopped once he saw a mass of ribbons gather around Uryu's feet, slowly rising before they formed the shape of a sparrow behind him. "Wait a minute, those are-"

"That's correct.. These are Reiraku - or simply Spirit Ribbons, which are the very manifestation of a being's Spiritual Energy.. A _good _Soul Reaper would be able to see it in an instant.. And a _skilled _Soul Reaper would be able to touch it.. Judging from your reaction.. It would seem you are _neither_, so allow me to inform you of something.." Rito would widen his eyes as Uryu had reached toward him, pulling a ribbon out from his shoulder, but it had seemed to burn at the edges as he did so. "The Reiraku of a Soul Reaper is special.. For it is _red_ specifically."

Rito would widen his eyes as Uryu would release the ribbon, it burning away slowly. "I shall once again state.. That I am a Quincy.. The power I have is to _kill _Hollows." He would then pull from his pocket a circular tablet, with an unreadable writing on the flat edge. "You claim you will kick my ass, yes? Why don't we test that then? With a little game between you and me, hm? To decide which are superior.. Quincy, or Soul Reaper?"

"A game..? The hell are you talking about..?" Rito would raise a brow.

"Yes, a game. One that will help you understand that the world is better off.. Without you."

Rito would blink, before turning away, crossing his arms. "No way in hell am I gonna just go along with that!"

"Oh..? And why not?" Uryu would narrow his eyes.

"Cuz I don't see anything in it for me." He uncrossed his arms, beginning to walk off as he would slowly wave. "I can clearly tell you've got some rage boner towards anyone who's in correlation with any Soul Reapers, but, uh.. That has _nothing _to do with me. Call up your therapist or somethin', pal."

"Are you saying you're afraid?"

"Nope. Don't start with me on that crap." He lowered his hands, and began walking away. "Between you and me, there's just no contest."

Uryu would then straighten his glasses. "Yes. I wouldn't argue against that." Rito then stopped. "If my memory serves me correctly.. I believe that this Soul Reaper form you have only came as a result of Rukia transferring her powers to you.. Which would make you, say, a _stand-in _Soul Reaper. Therefore, without Rukia's very presence.. You're simply cannot even wipe your nose.." He looked upward toward Rito with a serious face.

Rito would then slowly turn toward Uryu, a scowl on his face as a vein had grown on the side of his head to form a tick mark. "..the _hell _did you say..?"

Uryu would grin widely, flipping the bait in his hand before moving to snap it. However, what had come next put shock on both Rito and Uryu's faces.

* * *

"Did you say it was a _Quincy _you were dealin' with..?" Rukia nodded to Kisuke's question. "Huh.. It's been the longest time since I've even heard anyone _mention _that word.."

"You know what it means..?"

"Yes.." The muscular figure of Tessai would be shown standing behind them with his hands behind his back. "It does bring quite the nostalgia to hear it." He would then lift his head slightly. "Let's see.. It's been about.. Two hundred years since that word had last been uttered.."

"Two hundred..?" Rukia would then quickly stand up, looking to Tessai with shock in her eyes. "Why?! Could you explain to me what exactly the Quincies are?!"

Kisuke had cleared his throat to get Rukia's attention. "The Quincies were members of a clan strictly dedicated to fighting Hollows. Once upon a time, they were many amongst every country.. But. Two hundred years ago.. They were thought to have been wiped out."

"Wiped.. Out..?" Rukia widened her eyes.

"Yes.. You see. People like Tatsuya Yuki had come to discover and recognize the existence of Hollows.. Once they began to develop their Spiritual Powers.. They started fighting the Hollows, too, and vanquishing them, much like a Soul Reaper would.." He would set the tea in his hand onto the table, taking a small amount of time to pause. "But the Quincies.. Had very different viewpoints on the matter of dealing with Hollows as a whole.." He would then look up, his eyes being overshadowed by his hand. "This had caused a large division between the groups as time passed.. On whether to cleanse.. Or _destroy _Hollows.."

"You said.. Destroy..?"

"Yes. Destroy. The Soul Reapers utilized the Zanpakuto in order to cleanse the Hollow's souls and send them to the Soul Society.. While the Quincies only sought to destroy the Hollows, as they saw that as the only solution. Though, it is understandable. Hollows devour human souls. They take away the Quincies loved and cherished. So why would they deserve peace? A second chance? With that in mind, I can't blame the Quincies. Their decision was to kill the Hollows in the name of those they've lost. But.." Rukia looked to him attentively. "This choice had been the beginning of the end for them."

* * *

Chad had been running across Sainan, before he had come to see that there was a playground up ahead and three people seeming to have a conversation, which caused him to come a sliding stop once reaching them, before looking up to see that it had been "Rito", a pink haired woman he didn't recognize in their school uniform, a white and black haired male who was in the same category as the aforementioned woman, and Yui. Once reaching them, he would pick Mikan up off his back and set her down with the three of them.

"..here. Take care of her."

"Eh? What? Why?" "Rito" had raised a brow.

"It's your sister." The three others present would say, which would cause him to gulp.

'_Oh. Oh shit. This is, uh, oh._' He would then look down to Mikan, who looked up toward him with a glare as she placed her hands on her hips.

"Chad, what are you going to do..?"

"..hm."

"That's not an answer!"

"So you're Yasutora Sado." Yui placed her hands on her hips. "You miss a lot of school, mister. Wanna explain that?"

"I'm a man.." Everyone had sweatdropped to Ren's response, but then turned back to Mikan.

"Uh-" Chad had then turned, seeing only the blur of what Lala, Mikan, and "Rito" were able to see clearly. The Hollow had been rushing toward them with a loud roar as "Rito" had widened his eyes as it was coming straight for them. Chad would then swing around, jumping forward to take the brunt of the assault aimed at "Rito" and Mikan, pulling the two of them aside as he slid backward toward Lala, coughing up some blood as Mikan looked to him with wide eyes.

"CHAD?! CHAD, ARE YOU OK?!"

"W-What's going.. On..?!" Yui had looked forward. She had seen something she never previously had. The most she had seen before were the blurred people that Rito would occasionally be talking to whenever she passed by him, but.. This was something different. It's eyes were cold and truly lifeless, no light passed through it's body as it seemed to be a complete form. And the skull-like mask that covered over it's face had only scared her more. Three fears went through her mind at once, the fear of death, the unknown, and inferiority. It had been so apparent to her that it could crush her just from a simple gesture, which had only caused her to instinctively turn away, taking off into the distance.

"Rito.. What _is _that..?!"

"It's.. A Hollow.." "Rito" said as he had gotten out of Chad's weakened grasp, as the male had grunted, attempting to stand but to no avail as he looked, watching as "Rito" would glare toward the creature.

Ren would then look up, seeing the creature and blinking, before he would quickly step in front of Lala, raising a hand. "I don't know what's going on, but Lala-chan, I shall defend you!"

"Listen, man! You're useless in this situation! Help the big guy out and get him a doctor or something!" "Rito" would say before rushing toward the Hollow and jumping forward, spinning in the air and kicking it across the face with a powerful swing of his leg that would cause it to tilt it's head to the side with force from the blow. However, before it would swing it's arm, smacking "Rito" right back, causing him to crash onto the ground hard, coughing blood upon his body bouncing off the ground and flipping.

Chad would grunt as Mikan had been shaking him, attempting to get a response out of him as he would look to her slowly. "Mi..kan.. Run.." He would grunt as he stood up slowly, blood leaking out from his chest and arm as he slowly walked toward the Hollow, to Mikan's chagrin.

"NO, CHAD! DID YOU NOT SEE WHAT IT DID TO YOU THE LAST TIME?!"

"I did.."

"Then why?!"

"Because I.. Have to go.." Chad would grunt, holding his side as he would look up toward the shimmer he saw of the Hollow, narrowing his eyes as it would continue to go after "Rito", Lala, and Ren.

* * *

**Giant Against GIANT?!**

* * *

_On a rooftop, stood what could be seen as a young girl with long blonde hair, large, dark red irises, and a very child-like figure, wearing an attire strictly made of all-black leather, which would in its entirety seem to form a dress-like outfit, though the lower areas of it had been torn. Over her chest would be a star shaped gap in her dress that would briefly show the skin inside of it. It also featured a set of two belts around her waist, five-leg belts that would be worn on the both of her pale legs equally, and two sleeves that attach to her upper arm via belt. Despite her hair having a great length, a quarter of it was made it into two pigtails on either side of her head held up by black hairpins that would seem to have a metallic glow to them, that would make her nearly seem akin in appearance to that of a cat._

_The girl would then raise her finger, as a small bird would fly over to her, landing on the finger as the wind blew._

* * *

"Ya..shiro..?" Uryu looked with wide eyes as the man in question had a tight grasp on his wrist, the white haired male shaking his head.

"No, Ishida. Using that in this town is far too dangerous." Yashiro had looked to him with a firm face.

"Uh.. What the hell's goin' on here..?" Rito had raised a brow, looking around.

Yashiro had then looked over to Rito, smiling a bit. "Oh.. So it's _you_.." Rito had raised a brow, Yashiro turning toward him as he would throw his arm around Uryu's neck, pulling him into a brotherly side hug. "Well, I suppose we've never met before, huh? Sorry, but I've had Uryu here keepin' an eye on ya, _Rito_-chan."

"H-how long have you guys been watchin' me?!"

"Since Rukia Kuchiki gave you her Spiritual energy. _That _caused your individual spiritual pressure to explode, y'know. Had to observe ya and see what the cause was. Or, have ya not noticed how much more powerful you've been getting?" Yashiro would then let go of Uryu, walking over to Rito with a smirk.

"What..? What're you talkin' about..?"

Yashiro would then strike Rito in the chest with his palm, red ribbons flying out of his body as they would all surge past Yashiro's body just slightly, before the ends began burning.

"You notice how they're burning, right..? It's a signal, my friend. You're beginning to become too strong for Rukia's previous power to handle. But, don't feel bad. Once you become strong enough on your own, which you surely will. I'm sure her powers will begin to return to her. It's not like you took them _forever_ or anything like that." He shrugged.

"Wait, what do you mean strong enough on my own..? I don't have Soul Reaper powers of my own, ya know! I only have these because of Ruki-"

"Or _do _you..? There might be more to it. I dunno. Well, anyway. I'm gonna take Uryu here home." Yashiro walked to Uryu's side, placing a hand on his shoulder before the two were gone by the next breeze, which caused Rito to widen his eyes.

"..I feel like.. Things just got worse from here.." He would then grunt as he would turn, dashing off toward the distance. '_Well.. Either way.. I need to find my body before that artificial soul or whatever the hell takes it for a joyride, if it hasn't already!_'

* * *

"Rito" would slowly go to stand as he had breathed heavily, coughing a bit more before looking to the Hollow, that had walked toward Mikan, raising its hand to slam its fist down onto her. He grunted as he would attempt to get up, but had coughed a bit upon realizing the body he was in was still in a bit of shock from the attack, as he would grunt and look forward.

"Alright! I think I know what'll solve our problem!" Lala had pulled a phone out of her shirt pocket, spinning it in hand and pointing it forward, pressing a few buttons before pressing the center button, an alien text appearing over it as a digital display appeared from the screen, before reading _ G_. Appearing before her would be a dinosaur that's body had been white, with black designs covering over its body, the most notable part being the Deviluke symbol on the side of it. "Alright! Paku-Paku Eater-Kun!" She would then turn her position as she would throw her free hand forward in a pointing position. "Go munch up that monster!"

It went forward to enact her commandments, but would then blink, looking around, seeming to be emulating confusion as it could not see the Hollow she had desired it to attack. This would then cause Lala to sweatdrop as she would then gasp as the Hollow would easily knock the machine away, it looking toward Lala and going to charge toward her, only to be stopped by a combined effort from "Rito" and Ren, who would both go to kick it in the face, knocking it back slightly.

However, they would both then, after realizing their collaboration, suddenly come to butt heads with one another.

"You should get out of my way, Tatsuya _Rito _Yuki..! I cannot allow someone who's been designated a Pear by Lala-chan to step one foot in front of her!"

"What the hell are you on about?! Didn't I tell you to go help the big guy..?!"

As the two argued, the Hollow would grit its teeth, rushing toward them and throwing down a punch, which had been blocked by a metallic pink rope that would tighten around it's fist once getting a hold of it. The two would then turn around to see that it had come from Lala as she held onto the rope tightly, the other two quickly running over to aide her as they all pulled on its arm, attempting to pull it down hard enough to keep it down long enough for an escape. However, they would all then blink as the Hollow would simply raise it's arm, grabbing onto the metallic rope and pulling on it, managing to pull the three of them over his head and fling them off the rope, causing it to dismiss itself as "Rito", Lala, and Ren flew through the air.

"Rito" would land on the ground with a heavy slide, while Lala had dialed a combination on her D-Dial before a pair of wings would appear on her back, allowing her to gravitate herself in midair, while.. Ren wasn't as fortunate, as he had landed on his head, before tumbling and causing dirt to pick up heavily around him. Within the mass of smoke that had covered over him, a sneeze could be heard.

Though, that wasn't of "Rito" and Lala's concerns. They had been focused on fighting against the Hollow. Which "Rito" had quickly swung around, seeing something he could use in the distance as he jumped over toward it, sliding across the pavement on the other side to swipe a bat from a box in front of the sporting goods shop nearby. He would then swing it over his shoulder, smirking.

"Alright! Now I've got somethin' handy!" He rushed over to Lala's side. "Well. You've got all those crazy doohickies you keep makin' pop up. Anything else up your sleeve?"

"Hmm.." Lala would look to the bat, tapping her chin, before smiling brightly. "Actually! Yeah I do!" She would dial a new combination on her phone before pressing the center button, above the numbers, causing a digital display to appear above the screen, an image being constructed out of pixels before a circle of light had caused it to become physical, which Lala would swipe out of the air before striking a pose. "Teehee! I've got it! The _Almighty _Tool!" She would grin widely as it would seem to mimic the form of a magic wand, despite the wings on the side of it that would flap slightly as she would then walk over to "Rito", tapping the bat in his hand with it. "And, there!"

"Rito" would then blink before the bat would begin to glow brightly, morphing within his hand. It would soon become completely metallic while jet boosters had formed at the edge of it, black designs spread over it as the Deviluke symbol appeared on its side.

"Hmm.. I think I'll call it _Bum Bum Bat-kun_!"

"That's _obviously _spontaneous!"

"Now! Go get him!" "Rito" had sighed, this was really the only thing he had besides his legs to attack with, so he figured he'd might as well give it a shot, as he rushed forward, going to give the Hollow a hard and powerful smack across the face upon it leaning downward to punch toward him. He would then notice what was below him, and quickly go to push the bat upwards with a roar.

However, the both of them had stopped as they noticed the only thing that had occurred were the two clashing with one another. He would then raise a brow, before suddenly the boosters at the opposing end of the one over the Hollows face had kicked off, the flames emerging as it had begun to push forward, not only sending the Hollow into the air with its increasing force, but "Rito" as well.

"HOW. DO. YOU. STOP. THIS. THIIIIIIING?!" He cried out from midair as Lala had tapped her chin, watching the two fly.

"Huh.. I guess I should have told him it would send him flying if he kept hold of the bat once the rockets went off. Ah well." She shrugged, smiling as she watched them come down.

"Rito" had then cried out as he had been sent flying off into the distance due to the bat, Lala soon following after him with a pair of wings she had summoned from her D-Dial.

The Hollow would soon grunt as it had crashed into the ground, grumbling a bit as it had stood up, looking forward to see the three kids that "Rito" encountered before had been walking around the area.

"Did ya hear all the crashin' goin' on?" The tallest, who also had the messiest hair, spoke.

"Yeah. But I don't see anything.." They looked around, then all looked toward the bloody mess that was Chad.

"AGH!" They would all then back away slightly. "Uh.. How'd you get like that..?!"

"He looks like someone straight outta an action movie!"

"Yeah! Right after a big fight scene!"

Chad had grunted, continuing to walk forward.

"U-Uh, he's comin' straight at us!"

Mikan would then rush forward, screaming out to them. "RUN! GO! HIDE SOMEWHERE!"

"Eh?! Yuki?!" They would all look to her. "Did you do this to the big guy?!"

"Heh?! What's the matter with you?! We didn't do anything to you! So why are you so mean?!"

Mikan would grit her teeth as she rushed over to them, as the Hollow would be approaching rather quickly.

* * *

Yui had been running from the scene, breathing heavily once she came to a stopping point, looking around frantically. She would then sit down against the wall. '_What was that..? What was that monster..?! Why can't I understand all of this?!_'

Yui had then stopped, looking over to see that there was a large centipede Hollow staring her down, causing her to widen her eyes in fear as she had gotten up, beginning to run off into the distance as the Hollow would soon follow after.

'_No.. No..! I don't want to die.. Stay back.. Get away from me.. NO! BACK! I don't want to.._' She clutched her fists tightly and ran faster for a moment, before she had slipped and fell, bumping her head as she would slowly sit up, turning to look behind her as the Hollow had closed in on her, looking down toward her.

"PLEASE DON'T!" Yui had backed away as far as she could, her back touching the street pole. "Someone.. HELP ME!" She would then widen her eyes as the creature would, within the blink of an eye, be soon falling apart, as landing in front of it had been Rito in Soul Reaper form, sheathing his sword as he would stand up, looking around.

"Oh. It's just Kotegawa.. Damn. I figured she'd be with that artificial soul thingy." He sighed as he looked around. Yui had been silent, scanning over Rito's figure. He essentially looked the same as when she saw him earlier, however the key difference was the black coat and large sword on his back.

"Yu..ki...?"

Rito would then look to Rukia, who had gotten her Memory Swap device ready from her pocket. Yui looked to the two of them with a puzzled expression. She did not quite catch what they were saying before the Memory Swap device would emit a dense gas upon Rukia pressing the button on the side, it encompassing Yui's body.

* * *

"Go on, shoo!" Mikan had waved her arms to the kids she had been speaking to, but to no avail as they hadn't understood what she had been aiming to do and had simply argued with her.

Chad would look forward as he saw the Hollow reaching closer to them, grunting as there was still blood leaking from his side.

"Heh?! What's your problem?! We haven't done anything to you!" He would hear the children say.

_"What are you always so mean?!" A young Chad had a tear in his eye as he looked down, not looking his abuelo in the eyes. The male scolding Chad was a muscular older man with gray hair. He wore a purple cap with a yellow shirt and black suspenders. Who had sighed a bit, rubbing his shoulders. "What did it accomplish? You made those who hurt you hurt too, but.. What after?"_

_The tears in Chad's eyes had streamed down his face. "I.." Before he could answer, his grandfather had placed a hand on his head._

_"Listen, Chad. You're a very strong boy." He knelt down to him so he could look him in the eyes. "You're tall. Handsome. I'm sure you'll grow into a man that all people would wish for. People that are different always get picked on. That may not be true in different places.. But in this world, Chad, that's just how it is."_

_"But, Chad.. You must learn to be kind."_ Chad would grunt as he looked up toward the shimmer, it slowly gaining physical form. _"You've got big, strong fists.. They shouldn't be used to harm others.. They should be used to protect them." _Chad looked down to his right hand, before clutching it tightly. '_Yeah.. I understand now, Abuelo.. This is what you've always tried to teach me.._'

Mikan had grit her teeth and pushed the three out of the way as she ducked so that the swing of the Hollow's arm would miss them, which the kids would scream in protest to.

'_Abuelo.. This time.. There's too many people.. For me to protect just on my own.._' He would slowly raise his arm, reaching forward. '_So.._' He grunted. '_Please.._' Unbeknownst to him, a small crystal that had slowly been shaping into a fist had formed. '_Give me the power.._' He would then clutch his fist, subsequently crushing and shattering the Crystal, this causing a massive explosion of gust to emerge from Chad's body that would send the bystander Mikan flying back, forcing her to catch onto a pole nearby to keep herself from hitting anything as it only picked up in force, while the three kids had all landed in the garbage disposal on the opposing side.

She would then look back to the gust of wind with shock as suddenly a burst would emerge from it, this burst striking the Hollow at such speeds it had not recognized it as it would turn its attention to its arm, or what would have been his arm, as he saw that it had been completely obliterated, a splatter of blood being the only remains.

Emerging from the winds had been Chad, who stood tall with an armor over his arm, one which would be black with dark magenta highlights.

* * *

**Is The Right Arm of The Giant (巨人の右腕) The _Right_ One?**

* * *

Kisuke had placed his hand on his hat, blinking as he had looked out the door. "My.. It's lookin' to be very windy outside~"

"Hey, Mr. Urahara!" Kisuke would turn toward Jinta and Ururu, the latter looking to the ground. "Looks like Ururu gave Rukia a pack 'f defective souls." He frowned toward Ururu, who would step forward and bow.

"I-I'm really sorry, Mr. Kisuke.. It's my fault.." She would then look up to them with pleading eyes. "Are you mad at me..?"

Kisuke would blink, as Ururu averted his gaze, not wanting to see the face of disappointment she expected. Kisuke would then reach toward her, which had caused Ururu to flinch, bracing herself for the worst. Kisuke had blinked, before smiling and patting her head, which had caught her by surprise.

"No way, kiddo!" He'd rub her head while offering her a smile. "Accidents happen, you know." She would begin to draw tears, which had prompted Kisuke to continue. "You shouldn't be afraid, Ururu. We're friends, aren't we?" He would then pull her into a hug. "Don't you worry, big ol' Kisuke's gonna take it from here."

"Mr.. Ki..suke.." Ururu voice had been breaking, before the dam finally broke and she began to cry into Kisuke's shoulder, as he would continue to pat the back of her head.

"Now, now.. It's ok."

"Yo, Tessai." The man in question would be by the door, putting up the _closed _sign.

"Yes, Mr. Urahara?"

"We have another.. _Guest_ we'll need ya to go get. Would ya mind? I would do it myself, but it would seem there's a situation at hand."

"Not at all, Mr. Urahara. I'll be sure to be back as swiftly as I can, then."

"Much appreciated~" Kisuke would wave as Tessai had soon made his way out the door. After a moment, he would then lift a hand to his hand, straightening it whilst lifting it slightly. "Well.. It seems that things are beginning to get interesting.."

* * *

A heavy gust of wind would explode out from the area where Chad had been standing as it had sent the spectating Mikan back, who had grasped onto a pole in order to stop herself from being flung away as the pulses of wind would only increase.

From within, it could be seen that Chad's arm was covered all the way up to his shoulder in a crystal-like liquid, which would soon solidify into a form of armor upon him swinging it forward. The shockwave resulting from this action would sent a powerful, albeit invisible, force that would fly toward the Hollow, not only obliterating its arm, but sending it back a few meters and down on its back.

_"Chad.."_ The shoulder fanned out a bit into an upward extension, parallel to his height. _"You are big.."_ It had an indentation at the top in the middle of the extension, stopping just where his shoulder had begun, separating the upward extension into two. _"And you're strong.."_ The arm is black, with a dark magenta strip running down the middle of the arm, tapering down towards a point that stops at the wrist, where two wing-like protrusions would be on either side of. _"So learn to be kind.."_ The dark magenta strip is outlined by a thin white line. _"Kinder than anyone else would be.."_ These patterns had continued on the top as well as the underside of his arm.

'_I will.. Abuelo.._'

It had now been clear. He could see it fully, mask and all. He would then lower his arms, bowing his head slightly.

"Hey, uh, Chad..?" Mikan would open her mouth to speak. "What's up with.. Your arm..?"

Chad would look toward her, seeming to be about to answer, but then swung his head back toward the Hollow upon hearing it growl loudly as it pushed itself up off the ground. Mikan would look toward it with wide eyes, while Rito had been reaching for the sword on his back. But they then both paused as they saw Chad raise his unarmored hand, signalling for them to not interfere as he had watched it charge toward him calmly.

"Chad, wait! Think this over! You could be killed!"

As it had charged, it let out a loud roar that would echo throughout the area, but this hadn't caused Chad to falter. He would soon arch his armored fist backward, his shoulder igniting with a blue flame that would follow down the white lining of the arm before being absorbed into his knuckles. With a calm breathe, Chad would then throw his fist forward, it colliding with the Hollow's mask. "..I'm sorry."

Mikan would then express shock as the resulting force would not only completely destroy the mask that covered over the Hollow, but obliterate it's head behind it before they could even catch a glimpse of who the morphed spirit could have been, as soon the rest of it's body would follow as the explosion of blue flame that would be fired off from Chad's knuckle had completely overpowered the creature's body, burning it to a crisp.

'_He.. Hit..?_' Mikan's eyes had looked to Chad, who had been standing with smoke emitting from his armored arm. '_But.. How? I didn't even tell him where it was coming from.._' She would then step forward. "Hey, Chad! Could y-"

Chad would breathe heavily, looking down toward the ground as he would soon fall backwards, hitting the ground with a thud.

"CHAD!" She would then rush over to him as he hit the ground.

Chad had looked to his arm, raising a brow as he watched it soon shattered into crystal-like liquid, it soon retreating into the skin of his arm. '_The armor.. It appeared out of nowhere.. And emitted some powerful force.. And.. That monster.. Seemed clearer to me than ever before.._' He narrowed his eyes. '_Where'd it come from..? The armor.. The monster.. All of it.._' He would then look upwards toward the sky above. '_And.. Why am I so exhausted..? Is it because I don't know or understand a thing..?_'

"Hey.." Mikan would look to Chad, who had returned her gaze with a look of concern.

"Are you hurt.. Mikan..?"

"Are you kidding..? You big dummy.." She would draw a tear as she faintly smiled. "You're the one that's hurt.."

"Oh.." Chad would then look to the sky above, smiling. "That's good, then.."

Mikan's smile would quickly turn into a scowl as she had kicked him in the side, to his surprise. "No! That's _not _good at all! This is a frickin' _tragedy_! _Good _isn't a word that should even be mentioned here!" She would then turn away, crossing her arms. "You're just like Nii-cha- I mean, Rito. Always with that stupid man logic. I just can't stand it." She would blush for a moment, before shaking her head and looking to Chad.

Chad would blink, raising his hand over his head as they would then meet eyes, the young girl smiling to him as she had turned.

"Well, I'm gonna go get you some help, alright?" Before Chad could respond, Mikan had already taken off running. "Don't move a muscle! Just stay right there!"

* * *

_**The Right Arm of The Giant (巨人の右腕)** _**Raises It's Fist..****. To Protect!**

* * *

A pen had struck paper as the hand holding it had begun to move at high speeds in order to quickly and accurately draw out the image that would soon appear over it. After finishing it out in a quick pace, the hand would slide the paper aside, revealing a clean sheet underneath, which it would draw another. This process would continue at a fast pace as it had been revealed to be Saibai Yuki doing the drawing, his headband being prominent on his forehead per usual.

Approaching him would be what could be assumed to be a fellow manga artist as he had lifted the drawing he had created.

"Boss, I finished up with the background."

"ALL RIGHT!" He would throw him a thumbs up with his free hand while continuing to draw out the images. "What's Rai up to?"

"..he's asleep, Boss."

"WHAT?! ASLEEP?!" Saibai would then put his pen down. "Take over for me." The male would nod as he got into Saibai's chair as he had walked over to the back area of the workshop, looking on the couch to see a male around his age with spiky silver hair oriented, seemingly tilted, to his left-side, carrying a narrow jaw-line and a beauty mark under the left corner of his mouth. What was blocking his eyes from view had been a book, a novel to be exact, titled _Icha Icha Paradise_. His attire consisted of a white jacket with a fur collar, a black shirt, and black pants.

He would then kick at the sleeping male as he twitched his brow. "'EY! WAKE YOUR ASS UP! I can't have the second-best artist sleeping about on the deadline, damn it!"

"Unngghh.. Why not just go have Katsumioji do it..?"

"He's out shoppin' for materials!"

"What about Kariya..?"

"He went out with him to make sure he didn't buy anything that wasn't on the list."

"Eh.. What about Kujo..?"

"He's off on his daily jog. Plus, his art skills are pretty dull." Saibai crossed his arms.

"God.. We're short on workers.. I can't take a nap without it bein' too close to the deadline.." Rai yawned, sitting up and stretching with a loud grunt.

"Yeah, yeah. I don't wanna hear it. Get your ass back in gear. It's a special chapter today." Saibai jerked his thumb toward the main room, which Rai would weakly salute.

"Aye, aye, cap.." He would reply with another yawn, heading in the commanded direction.

Saibai would then sigh, before walking over towards where he headed, before noticing a knock at the door. He blinked, shrugging and deciding to go answer.

* * *

Rito (Mod Soul) had rubbed his head after crashing on a rooftop because of the _Bum Bum Bat-kun_. He looked around before he was about to take off again, until he could hear Lala call out to him.

"Rito!"

Lala would fly toward him with her artificial wings as the boy had sweatdropped. '_Does she have a device for literally everything..?_'

"You looked so cool as you were flying off!" Lala walked over to him with a bright smile.

"Uh, yeah. Sure." He would then stop as he heard a footstep behind him, which the two present would turn to see that it was a rather furious Rito.

"There you are, ya damn bastard!" Rito growled as Lala had blinked, looking to the two of them.

"There's two Ritos.. Now I'm confused.." She tilted her head, question marks appearing above her head.

Quickly, Rito would stomp over to "Rito", grabbing him by the collar and gritting his teeth. "What the hell! That's my _body_, not to mention _clothes_, you're messing up!" Rito had twitched his brow.

"Well, it wouldn't have gotten messed up _at all _if you were doing your job! Your friend and sister were in danger earlier, ya know!"

"Wait, wha-?! Chad and Mikan?! Then why the hell are you standin' around here for?!" Rito had pushed off of him, about to go leap off the roof to go find them.

"Rito" had dusted himself off. "Relax. The Hollow's dead now."

"Wh- But how..?" Rito would then turn back, remembering that there were people like Yashiro and Uryu in town.

"Rito-dono! I have an urgent message to deliver you from Lord Deviluke!" The two had spun their heads around as they Zastin leap from building to building to reach over to them, falling down toward the rooftop that the three were on, but "Rito" had dashed toward him, which Rito could tell what the intention was.

"Wait a minute, that's not an enem-" It had been too late, as Zastin had not been prepared for the kick that would strike him in the side, sending him onto the other side as Lala had blinked, going over to Zastin's side.

"Huh.. Rito 2's pretty strong.. Are you ok, Zastin?"

"Yes, it wasn't too hard a kick.. Wait. Did you just say there were _2 _Rito-donos?" He had looked over, seeing that his suspicions were indeed correct as Rito looked to "Rito" with a brow raised.

"Why'd ya do that? Zastin's not a bad guy, ya know." He would walk over. "It's almost like you didn't want him to end up in that spot or somethi-" He would look down, confirming this to be true as a colony of ants was walking away with a discarded jelly bean. "Oh.. I get it now.. You didn't want 'im to crush those ants."

"Yeah, so? I can't just watch them die for no reason." "Rito" had looked down solemnly. "Right after I was born, Soul Society ordered the mod souls to be destroyed... and the day after I was born I was already chosen to die!" _The soul candy that the Mod-Soul truly is had been sitting in a glass dome alongside many others that were being dropped into an incinerator._ "Everyday while I was in that pill I was afraid. As I watched my friends disappear each day. Even after I got lucky and escaped the storage among other pills, I feared being discovered and killed." "Rito" would look down, fear welling up in his eyes. Rito would loosen his grip, looking to him with sorrowful eyes. "As I trembled in fear I would think... Life just isn't something that should be taken from others. I was born like this! I should at least have the right to live and die freely!" "Rito" would grit his teeth. "Whether it's humans or insects... Or even us... It's the same. That's why I won't... Kill anything.."

"Hmm.. This is something not expected." Those present would turn toward the direction of the voice, seeing that Kisuke had made an appearance, who was a new encounter for those present. Although, "Rito" would look to him with wide eyes, knowing full well who it was. "Looks like we found you.. And you're already down." He would narrow his eyes, lifting his cane. "And here I thought we'd have at least a bit of trouble."

It could be seen that at the end of the cane was the same skull with blue flames that had been on Rukia's glove. "Hey.." "Rito" twitched a bit in fear. "Just wait a secon-" Before he could finish, the cane would strike his forward, the candy popping out of the opposite end.

"What.. The.." Rito had looked to the scene with wide eyes, while Zastin and Lala had both felt, well, _alien _to the situation.

"Alright, guys. Mission accomplished!" He would look behind him to Ururu and Jinta, who both had rather large contraptions strapped to their back, the one Ururu carried being wrapped over with a scroll.

"Aw, man! I wanted to fight!" Jinta stomped his foot.

Kisuke would chuckle a bit before closing his hand over the ball, beginning to walk over to them before Rito would step forward. "Hey.. What are you gonna do with 'im?!"

Kisuke would look back towards him. "Well, Mr. Yuki.. If I were to be frank.. I have no choice. I have to destroy 'im."

"Wait.. You can see me..? What.. Are you..?"

"Hmm.. Let's see.." He scratched the side of his head. "How exactly do I answer that..?" He would be bouncing the candy ball in his hand as question marks formed around his head, a hand grasping at it.

"Just a greedy merchant." Rukia would claim as she walked away from Kisuke, the pill now in her hand.

"Ah- Miss Kuchiki, you can't have that!"

"Why _not_, Kisuke?" It would be Rukia's turn to bounce the candy ball in her hand. "Has confiscating the goods your customer has already paid for _always _been part of your policy? Because I don't recall that being the case."

Kisuke would then blink, before he had sighed. "I'll give you a refund."

"No, that's fine. I'm completely satisfied with my purchase." She would turn away, before looking back to him. "Besides, you work outside the law, it's not your job to worry about this."

Kisuke's face would soon become grim. "This is a serious matter, Miss Kuchiki.. I hope you understand that we _won't _be taking the fall for you."

"That's quite alright, Kisuke." She would then turn her head away, looking forward. "Trouble is a regular for me."

"Come on, you guys." Rukia began to walk off. "Let's go."

"Uh. Ye-" Rito would then clutch his chest, as within his clothes, the markings from before had emerged once more, on his back, there being a pair of wings added to the markings. He would then cough a bit as he fell to his knees.

"Rito?!" Lala would try to console him, but the pain he was feeling would not subside.

"You must have been in your soul body for too long." She would then walk over to the empty shell that was Rito's body, placing the pill in it's hand. After doing so, Rito would immediately cough again, before once again assimilating into green energy and it returning to his body. Not long after, Rito would sit up inside of his human body, taking a few breaths before looking to the pill in his hand.

"Rito!" She would quickly run over, jumping onto the boy and hugging him tightly. Rito would grumble a bit at the affection being given to him, but would soon get used to it as he looked to Rukia, before looking down toward the candy pill in hand.

"Thanks.. For saving him." He would mutter.

"You don't need to thank me." Rukia would place her hands behind her back, now having a swing to her step. "I've already received plenty."

"..heh?" Rito would raise a brow, Lala pulling away from him as he went to stand. Rito took a look at the candy in his hand, having no clue what Rukia had meant.

Zastin would then jump upwards as he saw that everyone was taking their leave. "Ah! Rito-dono! I still have that thing to tell y-"

"You can tell me when we get back home."

"Ah, but Rito-dono..!"

"Rito~! Whaddoya think Mikan's cooking for dinner tonight?!"

"No idea, Lala. I'm just hopin' it's somethin' good, I could use some food."

"RITO-DONO!" Zastin would follow after the two, sweatdropping.

* * *

"W-Wait.. Yuki-kun.. You can't do that.." In her sleep, Haruna had been tossing and turning on the floor. "No. Yuki-kun, wait.. I'm not ready.. I-I know we're not getting any younger but.. I'm not ready.. Wait.. I said.."

"I'M NOT READY!" Suddenly, Haruna would push up off the ground, the back of her clashing with Chad's nose, which would cause the muscular male to retreat slightly at the slight nosebleed he had. "Oh- Um! Oh no! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to do that!"

"Ah, no.. It's fine." Chad would then look toward her. "You have a surprisingly hard head, Ms. Sairenji." He would then pinch it to keep the blood from leaking. "I came to check on you and heard you moaning in your sleep. What occurred in your dream?"

"Um. I can't say. It's.. A secret." Haruna had looked away, a blush spreading over her face.

'_Is it_ that _embarrassing..?_' Chad tilted his head slightly, question marks sprouting from it.

"Wait a minute. Where am I? This isn't my house.."

'_Did she_ just _notice..?_' Chad raised a brow.

Haruna slowly nodded, before turning at the tap of a footstep.

"Oh. Looks like you're awake."

"Who's that..?"

"That might just be the guy who.. Saved our lives."

The man in question would smirk, crossing his arms.

"Alright, Kisuke. Haruna's awake. Now give us an explanation. We deserve to know.. Why we have these strange powers.. And their connection to Tatsuya."

"Wha- Yuki-kun..?" She would look to Kisuke.

* * *

_Renji had been watching the scene and had grit his teeth. "Damn.. So it really was true.. Rukia.. Why..?"_

_The Rukia he knew and grew up with would never have committed such a heinous crime. The Soul Society forbid any transference of Spiritual Power from a Soul Reaper to a Human in any regard, much more so the entirety of it. So what made Rukia decide to do so..? What quality could that brat possibly have that would cause Rukia to go against her morals? He would then ball a fist, slamming it into the pillar next to him, which would crack a bit from the force. It didn't make sense to him._

_ He turned away from the scene, simply taking a deep breath and closing his eyes for a moment, before looking up and walking forward. Well.. He was going to have to observe some more before offering his final verdict to his Captain._

_"Damn it, Rukia."_

* * *

_Rito would be on his way out from the school the next morning, heading towards the gate to get home before he had turned, noticing a girl in the corner of his eye. The girl had long light green hair with two points sticking out at the top. Her body would also be slender and curvy from what Rito could tell, but that wasn't his priority. This girl had been on the ground, passed out as he had blinked, walking over to her._

_"Ah, well. I think Mikado-sensei's still here." He would then kneel down to get her up off the ground._

_After a few moments, the girl would awaken, looking around before she had noticed Rito had been staring out the window, before turning his head to her as he heard her moving around. "Oh, that's a relief. You're up." She would widen her eyes, realizing who it was and sitting up. "Luckily my hunch was right and Mikado-sensei was still in the staffroom when I found ya. so gettin' ya in the infirmary wasn't difficult." She would then blink, grabbing onto the sheets over her body. "Oh, and she also said ya only have a minor concussion, so there's nothin' too much to worry about."_

_He would then stop, blinking as he noticed that she had been staring at him, seeming to be giving him a once over as he spoke._

_"Is there.. Something wron-"_

_"RITO-KUN~!" She would then seem to blur from the bed as she had jumped over him, pulling him into an endearing hug, which Rito's hand had ended up carressing over her breast because of his position prior to the hug._

_'_Crap-!_' He would then jump back a bit from her, shaking his hand a bit. "What's with that reaction? Wait- How do you that stupid nickname..?" _

_"I'm so happy~! The two of us are finally alone together~ Just you and me~!"_

_"I'm pretty sure that's exactly what alone together mea-"_

_"Rito-kun.. I've had you on my mind.. No.. In my sight.. For the longest time now.. And.. I've always wanted to tell you how I feel, but.. I've never gotten the chance.." Rito had blinked, before a blush began to form on his face as he understood what she meant. "I love you, Rito-kun! Please go out with me!"_

_'_Ah- What the hell am I supposed to respond to that with..? Jeez.. Issei would probably know.. Tch! I'm sorry, Grandpa.. I'm becoming something I _really _wouldn't want to.._' Rito's brow twitched. '_W-Well anyway.. She knows that damn nickname.. So that means she's friends with Lala.. That wouldn't be good.. Meaning more space troubles that I _don't _want._'_

_"That look on your face.. It says it all.. You have someone else on your mind.. But.. I just can't forget about the kiss we shared.."_

_Rito's face would then go into several different shades of red at once. "Wait a minu- K-K-Kiss?! W-When?! How?!"_

_"Oh..? You don't remember~?" She would then lick her lips. "Then perhaps there's some hope after all~" She would walk over to Rito, lightly placing her hand on his shoulder while she twirled her finger on his chest. "Maybe another would do the trick~" Rito's draw would then drop, as he had no response to such advances._

_"Wha-"_

_"Sshh.. Don't move, ok~?" She would then slowly close the distant between them, parting her lips as they were prepared to envelop themselves over Rito's.._

_Then, Rito would suddenly then lightly push her off, holding her at an arm's length as he would soon back away. He looked down to the ground as the girl had blinked, tilting her head._

_"Rito-kun, why did you stop me?" Rito would then shake his head._

_"Sorry. I can't go through with that.. At least not right now.." Rito would then grab his bag off of the desk near the bed, turning to leave, giving her a final glance before taking his leave._

_"Ah mou! I was so close!" She had pouted, before inhaling for a moment. She would then sneeze, causing a cloud of dust to emerge over her body. Soon emerging from this cloud had been Ren, who looked around with a look of shock on his face._

_"GAGH! I'M IN WOMEN'S CLOTHES AGAIN!" He would place his hands over his private area. "I'M A MAN, DAMMIIIIIIIIT!"_

* * *

'I remember it so clearly..' _A young Rito would be staring at something, his eyes cold and lifeless._ 'How many stars were in the sky that night.. How many raindrops fell around me before it happened.. I remember it so clearly all I feel is pain..' _He would then look up to the sky, which would only respond with rain._ 'That's why.. I swore.. To protect them all.. Until the day I died..' _He would then fall to his knees, screaming out to the skies above._ 'That's the real reason why.. Why..'

"Rito! 'Ey! Rito! Wake up!" Standing over Rito's slumbering body was a stuffed lion doll. The doll had a light tan body with seams running up and down the entire figure. The arms and legs each had four white, flat claws which would serve as its fingers and toes. A button had been in the center of the body where its belly button would be. It had two beady black eyes and small ears with pink inside of them. It had a brown, spiky mane atop its head. Hanging from its lower back was a small tail.

Rito would open his eyes to look at the stuffed lion, seeming to be annoyed with its presence.

"You're leaving me no choice, Rito. If you don't get out of bed right now, I'm gonna climb into your bag and go to school with ya! Then, all the girls'll be like, _Oh my gosh! Wittle Wito's got himself a teddy bear! Such a baby_-" He would then find himself off the surface he had previously been on, being in Rito's clutches as he had been lifted over his head. "OW! OW! OW! OW! OW! OW! OW! OW! Lemme go! LEMME GO!" Rito would then throw him into the closet. "FUWAH-" Then, as the stuffed lion made contact with the closet, he would fall flat onto his face, soon jumping up from the ground and flailing his arms around.

"You should act more like a stuffed animal, Kon." He would grumble, rubbing his eye. '_Stuffed animals don't walk around.. Or nag about gettin' up in the mornin'.. Why is somethin' like this gotta always be how my day starts..?_'

'_Now. A_ real_ plushie wouldn't get that harsh of treatment from me, but Kon is a special case. Ya see. After the whole Mod Soul thing was solved, I wanted to find a body that Kon could regularly be in instead of just bein' stuck as a Soul Candy all the time._'

_Rito would look to the Soul Candy in his hand, then to the dog in front of him, narrowing his eyes. '_But. If we put it into a living creature, the soul would be forced out, like how mine was.. But, uh.. Waitin' for somethin' to die on the road is a lot harder than we originally imagined._' Rukia, Rito, and Mikan would all be watching as dust would blow from the street, blinking._

'But after a few hours passed, Lala decided to lend us one of her old lion dolls as a kid, so we tried that to see what would happen.' _Rukia watched anxiously as Rito would slowly insert the Candy into the Teddy's mouth._ 'If I were to say I was entirely pleased with the results.. I'd be lying.'

"Hey! Didn't I say to be gentle with my new body?!" Kon had pointed toward Rito with a scowl. '_So it turned out that the bodies didn't have to be organic for him to enter 'em. Lala_ originally _suggested we put him into one of her inventions, but uh.. I didn't feel like giving Kon that kinda power._' Rito would then groan, rubbing the back of his head as he stood up.

"As if! You think I wasn't informed of how you used my lips to kiss some random dude who's name you don't even remember?!" Rito would pop his knuckles.

'Oh, yeah. Forgot to mention. We named him Kon cuz he's a _Kaizo Konpaku_. We did consider Kai.. But.. I wasn't going to name something so uncool Kai.'

"Uh, eh he he.. Let's just talk this ou-"

Rukia would emerge from Rito's closet, her foot crushing Kon's body as she had looked to him. "Are you trying to disturb the neighbors, Rito?!"

"Why is everyone calling me that now..?"

"Sheesh, can't a Soul Reaper get dressed in pea-" She would stop, feeling the presence of a lecherous breeze as she looked down, seeing Kon smiling brightly.

"Ah.. Don't mind me. Just takin in the nice vie-" Rukia would not refrain from ruthlessly stomping on his body numerous times, causing him to flail in response. "AH! GUH! GAGH! AUGH! OW! RUKI-! A-! WAIT! MY STUFFING! IT'S GETTING OUT OF MY BODY!"

"Hey Rito!" Mikan would swing Rito's door open, causing the male to jump slightly as he would then turn toward his sister with a blink.

"Uh.. What is it, Mikan..?"

"What do you mean what is it? Didn't you hear me earlier? Mizuiro and Lala are waiting on you guys!"

"Wait, Mizuir- Wait. Lala-?! Oh. I forgot she was transferring to our schoo- WAIT A MINUTE, I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS RIGHT NOW-!"

"Yeah, well, hurry up and get ready. And go apologize from Dad's window. You're still making Mizuiro wait."

Shrugging, Rito would then step forward, swinging his window open and calling out upon seeing who they were referring to. "Yo! Mizuiro! My bad, man! Just woke up! You should come in for a minute!"

Mizuiro would smile to him in response. "Yeah, sure!"

'I tried to ask Chad what that power he used on that Hollow was, but he didn't have an answer either, so I just left it at that.. But Rukia said some Mr. Hat and Clogs could possibly have the answers, so I'm hopin' she'll help 'im out with that eventually.'

"Aw, damn it! I can think that over later! Gotta get to school!"

"See ya, Rito! Catch ya at school!"

"Yeah, see ya." Rito would then look to his watch. "Aw, damn it! Why didn't Mikan come and wake me up earlier! Hell, even Dad usually busts in when I sleep la-" Rito would widen his eyes upon looking to the date. "..deadline.."

"Rito..? What's that look for..?" Rukia tilted her head. "You said deadline.. I recall you saying your Dad was a manga artist.. Is something not going well..?"

"Oh, no.. It's nothing.." He would then look toward the wall, his eyes for a moment becoming cold. "Wow.. Looks like it's tomorrow, huh.."

"Rito..?" Rukia would look to him with a worried expression.

* * *

**\- END -**

* * *

_"Woah. Wait a minute! We're not having a super-long next chapter preview this time?!" - Kon  
"..no. Next chapter's based on an entire volume." - Rito  
"Well, I figured this one would be pretty serious, I mean, it's currently the longest chapter." - Kon  
"Well, it would seem that the next one is going to be longer." - Rukia  
"And Rito's gonna be separated from us for the majority of it!" - Lala  
"Alright. Let's call it a wrap there." - Rito  
"WAIT! I WANTED TO SAY SOMETHING!" - ?  
"ACHOO!" - Ren_

_"This story has a lot more followers and favorites than I honestly expected it to have from this point. I've seen that the reviews do point out things that I do think would definitely need to be focused on and dealt with by the end, and I hope to manage to do so. I appreciate every single one of you that has favorited and followed me, and I also greatly appreciate the reviews pointing out major flaws that can be seen within the contents of each Chapter. I hope to be able to improve on this as I update this more and more. I do hope to get as far as I can before it all crumbles and all of you that _do_ enjoy this fic continue to enjoy it as each chapter comes in.__"  
"Now, when it comes to the characters, I personally plan for Chad and Renji to definitely have a bigger role in this series than they did in their original counterparts, and give some spotlights to some characters who never really received them. I wouldn't even mind havin' character arcs on certain characters if you guys wanted to see that. At the moment, the board's rather flexible." - Red_


	6. New Life Acknowledgement (2)

_"Rito" would continue to use it to skip high over buildings, a wide smirk on his face._

_"YAHOO! This feels_ great_! I'm finally in a living body!" After jumping off a few buildings, he would then flip downwards to land on a playground, looking around as he stood in a crouched position atop the swing as he looked over to see three kids playing on their portable consoles._

_"To start this recap of what happened last time, I, the glorious Kon, had begun my adventures around the town on a bright sunny da-" - Kon  
__"Quit lyin' to the people!" - Rito  
__"I wasn't!" - Kon_

_"Out of my way, fools." The moment would be broken by the silence that followed when Rukia's foot had struck Tessai's rear end. Who would then retreat a few feet, holding her foot and blowing at it silently, remarking mentally how it felt like she was kicking a wall. She had come to gather information on the stranger that had approached her and Rito earlier, as she had immediately headed to the shop for information. Tessai would turn his head to see who it was, as he had then set Jinta down._

_"Oh. Ms. Kuchiki. What can I do for you?" Tessai had asked, which Rukia would look up toward him with a wince._

_"Where's.. Kisuke?"_

_"Yes, where _is _Kisuke _

_"Come on, Chad!" Chad had stopped at the next crossroad, looking around, while Mikan had simply been bonking him on the head._

_"Hmm.." He would make a quiet remark as he continued to look around, seeming to be in search of something._

_"Eh? What's up, Chad?"_

_"I've got.. A bad feeling." Chad had clutched his fist. Mikan only raising a brow in response._

_"Alright, well, I've got a bad feeling too! And it has to do with the fact that someone who looks a lot like my brother is jumping around buildings while he's missing!" Mikan tried to pull at Chad's cheeks, but had no succession in doing so as he would attempt to kick at his chest with the back of her foot, only for it to fail as well. "U- What're you made of, Chad?!"_

_Before Chad could make a response, a sudden gust of wind came from behind them as they turned to see dust rising heavily in an upward fashion, seeming to make the shape of a geyser as the wind from it had been enough to make Chad skid lightly._

_"W-What was that?! A gas explosion or something..?!" Mikan had held onto Chad as he had looked closer into what was within the dust, seeming to only see a vague silhouette made of an unidentified heat. However, what Mikan could see was different. It had been a large bipedal Hollow with an extremely muscular body, easily dwarfing the 6'5"1/2 tall Chad. Its arms noticeably widen as they progress from his shoulders, culminating in almost cube-shaped fists as big as his mask. Its skin was gray, with dark S-shaped markings running from his shoulders to the middle of his back. His Hollow hole is located in the middle of his chest. Its mask also resembled the face of a Guardian Lion._

_"Chad! We've gotta run!" - Mikan  
__"..mhm." - Chad  
__"THAT'S NOT AN ANSWER!" - Mikan_

_He would then widen his eyes as Ren had already beaten him to rushing over to her, kneeling as he grasped her hand lightly, placing a kiss upon it. "I've finally found you, Lala-chan.. My dear bride.."_

_"..heh?" "Rito" raised a brow._

_"Woah!" Risa and Mio would both widen their eyes._

_"Dear Lala-chan.. I could recognize with just a glance.. The way your light spreads even through the largest crowds.." He would smile as he had slowly stood, smiling. "You're beauty has only grown stronger from the days you were playing in Royal Palace gardens.. Alongside the radiating smile that would always shine on my heart, no, my_ soul_ with it's light. My, you really_ are_ a Goddess!"_

_"'Ey, you just wait a minute! I think she was talkin' to me!"_

_"Wonder what's goin' on before us.."_

_"A guy from the past has appeared and the male of affection is in shock?!" Mio and Risa would then look to each other, grinning to one another with a slight drool._

_"I smell the taste of a juicy love triangle!"_

_"Yeah! An extra spicy story of love and hatred!"_

_"..the hell are you two on about..?" "Rito" would then shake his head, before looking over to see Ren suddenly burst in joy._

_"AH, YES! THIS IS THE MOST JOYOUS OF REUNIONS! C'mon, Lala-chan! Bask in joy with me!"_

_"So.. I get you know my name and all, but uh.. Who are you..?" Lala's response had caused a flatline to go off in Ren's mind._

_"No.. It couldn't be.. You don't remember me..?!" He fell to the ground in utter despair. "But.. We've played together since we were but children.." "Rito" couldn't help but laugh at him._

_"God! You made such a big fuss just to end up sad on your ass!"_

_"Regardless." He would stand. "I am a man. Therefore my pain shall fade in no time."_

_'_That's not how pain works, pal!_' "Rito" gawked._

_"Anyways, Lala-chan. I've heard that there's an evil man that has you fooled by sweet words.." He would quickly spin, his finger now pointed at "Rito" with intensity. "The one you call Rito. Tatsuya Yuki!"_

_"Heh? The hell'd I do?"_

_"It seems you aren't aware.. Of the intimate relationship me and Lala-chan have.. Then take a look at this, why don't you?!" Ren would quickly reach into his shirt's inner pocket, swiping out a photo of what could be seen as him and Lala as kids, albeit they were both wearing large dresses, and Ren seemed to be on the verge of tears from embarrassment._

_"Ooh~ Some spicy drama on the horizon~" - Risa  
__"What..?" - Kon  
__"What the hell do you mean?!" - Rito  
__"D-Don't worry about i-" - Kon_

_At the House of the White Cross home, there were several in white outfits walking around, following through with their afternoon routines as Yashiro had been walking across the first floor hall, accompanied by a bespectacled young woman with orange eyes and, long light brown hair tied into two pony tails that had seemed to link to one another in the form of a pair of wings that would parallel the ribbon they were tied with. She could also be noted to have a very bold, curvaceous figure, alongside a young man with very long black hair, which covers most of his forehead, and all of his back. He has yellow eyes that seem to have no life in them as they seem devoid of life, both wearing similar outfits to Yashiro, albeit less decorative._

_"Hey, Chiaki."_

_"Sir." The long haired male had looked to him._

_"Has Uryu come back yet?"_

_"No, sir. He has yet to return from Sainan High."_

_"Figured so. Ah, well." He shrugged, placing his hands in his pockets. The female would then look to Chiaki, raising a brow._

_"Why are you so formal with Yashi-kun, huh? He told us we didn't have to be." She tapped her chin._

_"I simply give our leader the proper respect he deserves, whether he wishes for me to or not." Chiaki would response, scoffing to her question._

_"Now, now, Kurumi. Don't get on Chiaki simply because he's doin' his own thing." Yashiro had taken out a hand from his pocket, rubbing his neck with it, the cross that hung from his wrist bouncing off his skin at each step._

_"I can't seem to get my finger on what Uryu took.." - Yashiro  
"That may be because it's gone, Yakkun." - Kurumi  
"Do not disrespect Yashiro." - Chiaki_

_"Did you say it was a_ Quincy_ you were dealin' with..?" Rukia nodded to Kisuke's question. "Huh.. It's been the longest time since I've even heard anyonementionthat word.."_

_"You know what it means..?"_

_"Yes.." The muscular figure of Tessai would be shown standing behind them with his hands behind his back. "It does bring quite the nostalgia to hear it." He would then lift his head slightly. "Let's see.. It's been about.. Two hundred years since that word had last been uttered.."_

_"Two hundred..?" Rukia would then quickly stand up, looking to Tessai with shock in her eyes. "Why?! Could you explain to me what exactly the Quincies are?!"_

_Kisuke had cleared his throat to get Rukia's attention. "The Quincies were members of a clan strictly dedicated to fighting Hollows. Once upon a time, they were many amongst every country.. But. Two hundred years ago.. They were thought to have been wiped out."_

_"Wiped.. Out..?" Rukia widened her eyes._

_"Yes.. You see. People like Tatsuya Yuki had come to discover and recognize the existence of Hollows.. Once they began to develop their Spiritual Powers.. They started fighting the Hollows, too, and vanquishing them, much like a Soul Reaper would.." He would set the tea in his hand onto the table, taking a small amount of time to pause. "But the Quincies.. Had very different viewpoints on the matter of dealing with Hollows as a whole.." He would then look up, his eyes being overshadowed by his hand. "This had caused a large division between the groups as time passed.. On whether to cleanse.. Or_ destroy_ Hollows.."_

_"You said.. Destroy..?"_

_"Yes. Destroy. The Soul Reapers utilized the Zanpakuto in order to cleanse the Hollow's souls and send them to the Soul Society.. While the Quincies only sought to destroy the Hollows, as they saw that as the only solution. Though, it is understandable. Hollows devour human souls. They take away the Quincies loved and cherished. So why would they deserve peace? A second chance? With that in mind, I can't blame the Quincies. Their decision was to kill the Hollows in the name of those they've lost. But.." Rukia looked to him attentively. "This choice had been the beginning of the end for them."_

_"That sounds awful.." - Rukia  
__"Yeah.. But it was for the best." - Kisuke  
__"Are you su-" - Rukia  
__"Yes." - Kisuke_

_"Uh-" Chad had then turned, seeing only the blur of what Lala, Mikan, and "Rito" were able to see clearly. The Hollow had been rushing toward them with a loud roar as "Rito" had widened his eyes as it was coming straight for them. Chad would then swing around, jumping forward to take the brunt of the assault aimed at "Rito" and Mikan, pulling the two of them aside as he slid backward toward Lala, coughing up some blood as Mikan looked to him with wide eyes._

_"CHAD?! CHAD, ARE YOU OK?!"_

_"Chad!" - Mikan  
__"..ungh.." - Chad  
__"Oh. I think he's dow-" - Kon  
__"What the hell did I mi-" - Rito  
__"WOAH!" - Lala_

On a rooftop, stood what could be seen as a young girl with long blonde hair, large, dark red irises, and a very child-like figure, wearing an attire strictly made of all-black leather, which would in its entirety seem to form a dress-like outfit, though the lower areas of it had been torn. Over her chest would be a star shaped gap in her dress that would briefly show the skin inside of it. It also featured a set of two belts around her waist, five-leg belts that would be worn on the both of her pale legs equally, and two sleeves that attach to her upper arm via belt. Despite her hair having a great length, a quarter of it was made it into two pigtails on either side of her head held up by black hairpins that would seem to have a metallic glow to them, that would make her nearly seem akin in appearance to that of a cat.

The girl would then raise her finger, as a small bird would fly over to her, landing on the finger as the wind blew.

_"..." - ? (1)_

_"Ya..shiro..?" Uryu looked with wide eyes as the man in question had a tight grasp on his wrist, the white haired male shaking his head._

_"No, Ishida. Using that in this town is far too dangerous." Yashiro had looked to him with a firm face._

_"Uh.. What the hell's goin' on here..?" Rito had raised a brow, looking around._

_Yashiro would then strike Rito in the chest with his palm, red ribbons flying out of his body as they would all surge past Yashiro's body just slightly, before the ends began burning._

_"You notice how they're burning, right..? It's a signal, my friend. You're beginning to become too strong for Rukia's previous power to handle. But, don't feel bad. Once you become strong enough on your own, which you surely will. I'm sure her powers will begin to return to her. It's not like you took them forever or anything like that." He shrugged._

_"Wait, what do you mean strong enough on my own..? I don't have Soul Reaper powers of my own, ya know! I only have these because of Ruki-"_

_"Or _do _you..? There might be more to it. I dunno. Well, anyway. I'm gonna take Uryu here home." Yashiro walked to Uryu's side, placing a hand on his shoulder before the two were gone by the next breeze, which caused Rito to widen his eyes._

_"_

_Though, that wasn't of "Rito" and Lala's concerns. They had been focused on fighting against the Hollow. Which "Rito" had quickly swung around, seeing something he could use in the distance as he jumped over toward it, sliding across the pavement on the other side to swipe a bat from a box in front of the sporting goods shop nearby. He would then swing it over his shoulder, smirking._

_"Alright! Now I've got somethin' handy!" He rushed over to Lala's side. "Well. You've got all those crazy doohickies you keep makin' pop up. Anything else up your sleeve?"_

_"Hmm.." Lala would look to the bat, tapping her chin, before smiling brightly. "Actually! Yeah I do!" She would dial a new combination on her phone before pressing the center button, above the numbers, causing a digital display to appear above the screen, an image being constructed out of pixels before a circle of light had caused it to become physical, which Lala would swipe out of the air before striking a pose. "Teehee! I've got it! The_ Almighty_ Tool!" She would grin widely as it would seem to mimic the form of a magic wand, despite the wings on the side of it that would flap slightly as she would then walk over to "Rito", tapping the bat in his hand with it. "And, there!"_

_"Rito" would then blink before the bat would begin to glow brightly, morphing within his hand. It would soon become completely metallic while jet boosters had formed at the edge of it, black designs spread over it as the Deviluke symbol appeared on its side._

_"Hmm.. I think I'll call it_ Bum Bum Bat-kun_!"_

_"That's_ obviously _spontaneous!"_

_"Now! Go get him!" "Rito" had sighed, this was really the only thing he had besides his legs to attack with, so he figured he'd might as well give it a shot, as he rushed forward, going to give the Hollow a hard and powerful smack across the face upon it leaning downward to punch toward him. He would then notice what was below him, and quickly go to push the bat upwards with a roar._

_However, the both of them had stopped as they noticed the only thing that had occurred were the two clashing with one another. He would then raise a brow, before suddenly the boosters at the opposing end of the one over the Hollows face had kicked off, the flames emerging as it had begun to push forward, not only sending the Hollow into the air with its increasing force, but "Rito" as well._

_"HOW. DO. YOU. STOP. THIS. THIIIIIIING?!" He cried out from midair as Lala had tapped her chin, watching the two fly._

_Yui had been running from the scene, breathing heavily once she came to a stopping point, looking around frantically. She would then sit down against the wall. '_What was that..? What was that monster..?! Why can't I understand all of this?!_'_

_Yui had then stopped, looking over to see that there was a large centipede Hollow staring her down, causing her to widen her eyes in fear as she had gotten up, beginning to run off into the distance as the Hollow would soon follow after._

_'_No.. No..! I don't want to die.. Stay back.. Get away from me.. NO! BACK! I don't want to.._'_ _She clutched her fists tightly and ran faster for a moment, before she had slipped and fell, bumping her head as she would slowly sit up, turning to look behind her as the Hollow had closed in on her, looking down toward her._

_"PLEASE DON'T!" Yui had backed away as far as she could, her back touching the street pole. "Someone.. HELP ME!" She would then widen her eyes as the creature would, within the blink of an eye, be soon falling apart, as landing in front of it had been Rito in Soul Reaper form, sheathing his sword as he would stand up, looking around._

_"Oh. It's just Kotegawa.. Damn. I figured she'd be with that artificial soul thingy." He sighed as he looked around. Yui had been silent, scanning over Rito's figure. He essentially looked the same as when she saw him earlier, however the key difference was the black coat and large sword on his back._

_"Yu..ki...?"_

_Rito would then look to Rukia, who had gotten her Memory Swap device ready from her pocket. Yui looked to the two of them with a puzzled expression. She did not quite catch what they were saying before the Memory Swap device would emit a dense gas upon Rukia pressing the button on the side, it encompassing Yui's body._

_"Wh..?" - Yui  
"You know, Rito.. I can't just keep wiping every person you end up being seen by!" - Rukia  
__"I never ask you to, ya just do it!" - Rito_

_A heavy gust of wind would explode out from the area where Chad had been standing as it had sent the spectating Mikan back, who had grasped onto a pole in order to stop herself from being flung away as the pulses of wind would only increase._

_From within, it could be seen that Chad's arm was covered all the way up to his shoulder in a crystal-like liquid, which would soon solidify into a form of armor upon him swinging it forward. The shockwave resulting from this action would sent a powerful, albeit invisible, force that would fly toward the Hollow, not only obliterating its arm, but sending it back a few meters and down on its back._

"Chad.." _The shoulder fanned out a bit into an upward extension, parallel to his height. _"You are big.." _It had an indentation at the top in the middle of the extension, stopping just where his shoulder had begun, separating the upward extension into two. _"And you're strong.." _The arm is black, with a dark magenta strip running down the middle of the arm, tapering down towards a point that stops at the wrist, where two wing-like protrusions would be on either side of. _"So learn to be kind.." _The dark magenta strip is outlined by a thin white line._ "Kinder than anyone else would be.." _These patterns had continued on the top as well as the underside of his arm._

'I will.. Abuelo.._'_

_As it had charged, it let out a loud roar that would echo throughout the area, but this hadn't caused Chad to falter. He would soon arch his armored fist backward, his shoulder igniting with a blue flame that would follow down the white lining of the arm before being absorbed into his knuckles. With a calm breathe, Chad would then throw his fist forward, it colliding with the Hollow's mask. "..I'm sorry."_

_Mikan would then express shock as the resulting force would not only completely destroy the mask that covered over the Hollow, but obliterate it's head behind it before they could even catch a glimpse of who the morphed spirit could have been, as soon the rest of it's body would follow as the explosion of blue flame that would be fired off from Chad's knuckle had completely overpowered the creature's body, burning it to a crisp._

_Chad would breathe heavily, looking down toward the ground as he would soon fall backwards, hitting the ground with a thud._

_"CHAD!" She would then rush over to him as he hit the ground._

_"Hey.." Mikan would look to Chad, who had returned her gaze with a look of concern._

_"Are you hurt.. Mikan..?"_

_"Are you kidding..? You big dummy.." She would draw a tear as she faintly smiled. "You're the one that's hurt.."_

_"Oh.." Chad would then look to the sky above, smiling. "That's good, then.."_

_Mikan's smile would quickly turn into a scowl as she had kicked him in the side, to his surprise. "No! That's not good at all! This is a frickin'_ tragedy_!_ Good_ isn't a word that should even be mentioned here!" She would then turn away, crossing her arms. "You're just like Nii-cha- I mean, Rito. Always with that stupid man logic. I just can't stand it." She would blush for a moment, before shaking her head and looking to Chad._

_Chad would blink, raising his hand over his head as they would then meet eyes, the young girl smiling to him as she had turned._

_"Well, I'm gonna go get you some help, alright?" Before Chad could respond, Mikan had already taken off running. "Don't move a muscle! Just stay right there!"_

_"Wait. You said Chad had some power and is now lyin' around in pain?" - Rito  
__"Yeah. He should be here." - Mikan  
__"I don't see him." - Rito  
__"E- But he should be here!" - Mikan  
__"Did you call me out here because I haven't been doin' anything with you in a while..?" - Rito  
__"Hu- Wh- W-Where'd that come from?!" - Mikan_

_"W-Wait.. Yuki-kun.. You can't do that.." In her sleep, Haruna had been tossing and turning on the floor. "No. Yuki-kun, wait.. I'm not ready.. I-I know we're not getting any younger but.. I'm not ready.. Wait.. I said.."_

_"I'M NOT READY!" Suddenly, Haruna would push up off the ground, the back of her clashing with Chad's nose, which would cause the muscular male to retreat slightly at the slight nosebleed he had. "Oh- Um! Oh no! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to do that!"_

_"Oh. Looks like you're awake."_

_"Who's that..?"_

_"That might just be the guy who.. Saved our lives."_

_The man in question would smirk, crossing his arms._

_"Alright, Kisuke. Haruna's awake. Now give us an explanation. We deserve to know.. Why we have these strange powers.. And their connection to Tatsuya."_

_"Wha- Yuki-kun..?" She would look to Kisuke._

_"Are you gonna tell us..?" - Chad  
__"Yep. Just let me get my tea ready." - Kisuke  
__"I don't mean to be rude, but this is rather serious.." - Chad  
__"Yes. My tea is important." - Kisuke_

Renji had been watching the scene and had grit his teeth. "Damn.. So it really was true.. Rukia.. Why..?"

The Rukia he knew and grew up with would never have committed such a heinous crime. The Soul Society forbid any transference of Spiritual Power from a Soul Reaper to a Human in any regard, much more so the entirety of it. So what made Rukia decide to do so..? What quality could that brat possibly have that would cause Rukia to go against her morals? He would then ball a fist, slamming it into the pillar next to him, which would crack a bit from the force. It didn't make sense to him.

He turned away from the scene, simply taking a deep breath and closing his eyes for a moment, before looking up and walking forward. Well.. He was going to have to observe some more before offering his final verdict to his Captain.

"Damn it, Rukia."

_"..tch.." - Renji_

Rito would be on his way out from the school the next morning, heading towards the gate to get home before he had turned, noticing a girl in the corner of his eye. The girl had long light green hair with two points sticking out at the top. Her body would also be slender and curvy from what Rito could tell, but that wasn't his priority. This girl had been on the ground, passed out as he had blinked, walking over to her.

"RITO-KUN~!" She would then seem to blur from the bed as she had jumped over him, pulling him into an endearing hug, which Rito's hand had ended up carressing over her breast because of his position prior to the hug.

"That look on your face.. It says it all.. You have someone else on your mind.. But.. I just can't forget about the kiss we shared.."

_"Yuuki, you basta-" He would run towards him in attempts to throw a punch toward him, however, "Rito"'s sidestep movement ended up causing Ren to trip, the two only looking at each other for a moment before they both went downwards._

_Chu~_

_"Wow, I didn't know you two got along so well~!" Lala smiled innocently._

Rito's face would then go into several different shades of red at once. "Wait a minu- K-K-Kiss?! W-When?! How?!"

"Oh..? You don't remember~?" She would then lick her lips. "Then perhaps there's some hope after all~" She would walk over to Rito, lightly placing her hand on his shoulder while she twirled her finger on his chest. "Maybe another would do the trick~" Rito's draw would then drop, as he had no response to such advances.

"Wha-"

"Sshh.. Don't move, ok~?" She would then slowly close the distant between them, parting her lips as they were prepared to envelop themselves over Rito's..

Then, Rito would suddenly then lightly push her off, holding her at an arm's length as he would soon back away. He looked down to the ground as the girl had blinked, tilting her head.

"Sorry. I can't go through with that.. At least not right now.." Rito would then grab his bag off of the desk near the bed, turning to leave, giving her a final glance before taking his leave.

"Ah mou! I was so close!" She had pouted, before inhaling for a moment. She would then sneeze, causing a cloud of dust to emerge over her body. Soon emerging from this cloud had been Ren, who looked around with a look of shock on his face.

"GAGH! I'M IN WOMEN'S CLOTHES AGAIN!" He would place his hands over his private area. "I'M A MAN, DAMMIIIIIIIIT!"

_"God, why are all these random girls showin' up in my life..?" - Rito  
__"Wait, Rito-kun, I have something to sa-" - ? (2)  
__"ACHOO!" - Ren_

* * *

_"See ya, Rito! Catch ya at school!" Rukia had been climbing out the window._

_"Yeah, see ya." Rito would then look to his watch. "Aw, damn it! Why didn't Mikan come and wake me up earlier! Hell, even Dad usually busts in when I sleep la-" Rito would widen his eyes upon looking to the date. "..deadline.."_

_"Rito..? What's that look for..?" Rukia tilted her head. "You said deadline.. I recall you saying your Dad was a manga artist.. Is something not going well..?"_

_"Oh, no.. It's nothing.." He would then look toward the wall, his eyes for a moment becoming cold. "Wow.. Looks like it's tomorrow, huh.."_

_"Rito..?" Rukia would look to him with a worried expression._

"Ya first show up outta no where in my bathtub.. Then get me roped into a fight with your space samurai.. And then you transferred to my school.. AND got everyone calling me that nickname you came up with on the spot.. Why?" Rito raised a brow, hands pocketed as the trio of himself, Rukia, and Lala were all on a leisurely walk to Sainan High that morning.

"Well.. It was because.. I wanted to be by your side at all times, Rito.." Lala would place a hand on her cheek as a blush would form.

"Tch.." He would click a tooth in annoyance as she did manage to get a slight blush on his face before he shook it off. "Well, how'd you even get in anyway?"

"Oh. I talked to this guy called Principal!" She would then place a finger under her nose, making it into a makeshift mustache. "You're so cute, so sure! Is what he said! Isn't that amazing, Rito?!"

'Damn that perverted bastard of a principal..' He would then shrug.

"Don't worry though, Rito! Only the people that know already know I'm an alien!"

"And how many people are that?"

"Uhh.. Hmm.." She tapped her chin. "Almost everyone up here.. I think."

"A lot of people are starting to follow your every move. If they found out you were an alien, it would definitely be more problems for the both of us."

"Not just that, but it may put Lala-hime's life in danger!" Peke would then look away. "Well, if Rito really was as dependable as we'd hope, I wouldn't have to worry as much."

"I heard that." Rito would then blink. "So wait a minute, if I can Peke, then right now you're wearing.."

"Yep. This is Peke's newest Dress Form!" She would then look to her hairpin. "Don't worry so much, Peke! Rito's the most dependable guy when it comes right down to it!"

"..stop putting me on a pedastal, it makes me feel like I'm supposed to do more than I have to.." Rito sweatdropped as he remembered a conversation with Zastin on the way home from the ordeal that occurred the previous week.

_"Alright. What did you wanna talk about, Zastin?" Rito had his hands pocketed as he stepped to the side with him upon their way home with Lala and Rukia._

_"Rito-dono. Lala-sama's father, King Deviluke, had requested I bring you a message."_

_Rito had raised a brow as he walked over to him, he would then stop as he looked outward, before looking back to Zastin. "You said Lala's _father_?"_

_"Yes. He is known quite well throughout the universe, and is one of those deemed as a Galatic Monarch for his power. You see, during the times when this vast galaxy was but a wellspring of war, Lord Deviluke himself had brought it all to a close, and now he stands at the zenith." Zastin would raise his hand forward, a tiny structure that seemed to have skulls on either side of it floating over his palm as it would emit a purple glow, a gem of the same color floating out of it as it would glow brightly above it. "Now, then.. Listen carefully."_

"Hey. Tatsuya Yuki."

'..that's a pretty serious voice from someone who's _Lala_'s dad.._' Rito would briefly sweatdrop before he looked_ _to the structure, fully attentive to it._

"I heard what Zastin's had to say about you.. And if my most trusted swordsman deems you worthy, then so will I. Henceforth, I shall dub you a marriage candidate of my daughter's."

_'_Why did I just _know _that this was what it was going to be about..?_' The sweatdrop would soon return as Rito groaned internally, making a deadpan face as he continued listening._

"I've been told that Earthlings're supposed to be puny.. But then again, you _are _the first person Lala has ever viewed in such a favoring light." _A small brown dog would be dashing past the trees, having one target in sight as it would leap forward, biting onto Zastin's leg swiftly, who would grunt loudly as he would bounce around, kicking at the dog to attempt to get it off him. _"With that said, I'll be glad to be able to see your.. _Capabilities_, so to speak."

_'_Is it too much to ask for my situations to _not _get worse..?_' Rito twitched his brow, about to make a remark, however, he would soon retreat his statement to his mind, as it was only a recorded message._

"Listen up. I'll be eventually deciding when your genuine _Marriage Ceremony _will be held. So, until then, do your best in defending Lala." _The gem would soon shine a ray of light that would soon create a projection of several silhouettes of humanoid and inhumanoid figures. _"Remember, you definitely made a name for yourself through the Galaxy when news got out ya fought Zastin and stayed alive. So, the fact that you're a marriage candidate for Lala means the rest will be stepping up their game to take Lala for themselves."

_'_I feel like all these guys fail to understand that (A) _I'm not interested in takin' part of this battle royale for Lala's hand in marriage _and (B) _Lala's not a damn item to be snatched up_._' Rito had groaned, scratching the back of his head. His grandfather's ideology has and has always been a guiding point. On the thought of his grandfather, Rito had then stopped, recoiling a bit before looking back to the Devilukean messenger device._

"If you manage to protect Lala well and complete the _Marriage Ceremony _without harm of any kind, you shall be deemed my successor." _Zastin would still be in a dispute against the dog on his leg, reaching down toward it to pull it off, however, that was a mistake as it had decided to chew on his hand instead, causing him to growl as he shook it in attempts to fling it off. _"But know this.. if you fail.. And Lala is taken away from you before the _Marriage Ceremony _is completed.. You _and _your minuscule planet of yours will both be suffering the consequences."

_"..what..?" Rito had looked to Zastin, who had nodded with his arms crossed, at this point ignoring the dog nibbling on the side of his head. _

_"Do keep in mind that his highness approaches this matter with utmost resolution." Zastin would then raise his hand, placing it over his chin as he had nodded, closing his eyes. "Ah yes. I remember. There was once a man who had behaved rather impolitely before his highness, which had successfully infuriated him. After doing so, his highness had obliterated him alongside his planet." He would then lower his arms, his face becoming stern. "Meaning that.. If you do not meet with His Highness's expectations.. The Earth shall be obliterated."_

_"Wait a minute, _obliterated_?!" Rito had gawked. If that was the case, that would mean.. Everything he's gained up to this point. Everything he still has.. It would all be annihilated just like that._

_"Yes. The Earth itself would disappear without a trace." Zastin would nod to his statement, as Rito had recoiled, his jaw dropping as his eyes had fully become whited-out circles as he wobbled a bit, mentally falling back into the depths of his mind, the word_ disappear _following close after._

'_And ever since then.. The Earth's fate itself has just been thrown onto my shoulders like a damn towel.._' Rito had slumped his shoulders a bit.

"Oh. My bad, Rito!" Lala would chuckle, rubbing the back of her head lightly. This would be enough to snap Rito back to reality as he had blinked, looking to her with a slightt scowl, which was only met by her bright smile.

"..huh." He would then chuckle a bit, which would catch Lala off guard as he would soon walk forward, Lala blinking as she would follow after.

'_Ah, oh well.. Pretty much felt like it was how it was with all this Hollow crap goin' on.._'

Above them, the girl that Rito had come to meet the day after the Kon incident would be watching from the school window, a smile on her face as her vision had been completely focused on Rito, as seeing him seemed to make her smile slowly grow larger.

* * *

"Hey, Tatsuki!"

"Yeah, what's up?" Tatsuki turned her attention from Haruna over to Risa, who had clapped her hands together with a sweatdrop.

"Hey, Tatsuki! You've got Art, right?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Did ya finish the My Future assignment?"

"Sure did, why?" Tatsuki blinked.

"Could ya show me yours? I don't think mine's all that good." After Tatsuki had done so, Risa was stunned by how it nearly looked like a real-life picture. "WOAH! That's incredible, Tatsuki!"

"Yep. Gonna make my way to bein' a female Vale Tudo Champ!" Tatsuki crossed her arms, nodding to herself in triumph.

"Huh. Don't you think it would be better if you were an artist? That picture's so good I don't even want to show my own." Risa would then turn her head, looking to Haruna. "Oh, and what about you, Haruna? What did you draw?"

Haruna, receiving this question, would immediately turn to a bright red. "U-U-Uh, I don't think it's all that good.."

"Oh~? You just turned red~ What're ya hidin'~?"

"I-It's nothing, Risa-san!" She would back away, her blush becoming stronger, but then she stopped, turning as she saw Rito enter the room, hands pocketed with Lala following behind with a smile. "O-oh, Yuki-kun!" Haruna would quickly speak up, as she had been hoping to speak with him, but had not expected the response she was given.

"Hi there!" He would offer a gentle smile toward Haruna. "How's it goin', Sairenji?"

He would then sit with Keigo, Mizuiro, and Chad, smiling as he silently listened to their conversation, Haruna watching.

From the front of the classroom, Uryu would straighten his glasses as he looked behind him to Rito, who had seemed out of the ordinary. He would then narrow his eyes.

"Woah.. Are my eyes deceiving me? Tatsuya's bein' super friendly!" Risa would walk over next to Haruna, looking over to the four on the opposing side of the room. "What do you think, Haruna?"

"..what's.. The matter with Yuki-kun..?"

"Whaddoya mean, Haruna?" Risa looked to her. "He seems the happiest he's ever bee-"

"Risa. The date. Tell me." Tatsuki would suddenly slam her hand on the desk.

Risa, not understanding what was occurring, would shrug, crossing her arms underneath her breast whilst looking to the watch on her wrist. "It's June 16th, why?"

"Thought so.." She would then grit her teeth. "Haruna.. You're a very perceptive girl.. It took me three whole years to finally pick up on that.."

"Tatsuki..? What are yo-"

"Listen. If you have any urgent business with Rito, take care of it today." She would look toward where Rito was sitting. "Tatsuya.. Isn't comin' to school tomorrow.."

Haruna had a solemn look on her face. She hadn't enjoyed the sound of that, but if Tatsuki was this serious about it, then it was surely an important reason. She would open her mouth to speak, but would then hear the teacher clear his throat.

"Sairenji-kun." He would straighten his glasses. "You're the class representative, no? Would you mind showing Lala around to all the school club activities?"

"Oh, not at all, sir." Haruna looked to the pink haired girl. Tatsuki sitting back down in her chair, while Risa placed a hand on her hip. She would then walk over to her with a smile. "Ah, hello there. It's nice to meet you, Lala-san. I'm Haruna Sairenji."

"Hello there~!" Lala would throw her a wave.

Rito would look toward them, but then back to Mizuiro and Keigo.

Rukia would then look down towards her book, closing it as she would then walk over to Haruna and Lala. "Would you mind me coming along?"

"Oh, Kuchi-"

"Not at all!" Lala chirped.

* * *

"Well, Lala-san, Kuchiki-san, this is the Chemistry Club Room." Haruna would showcase the lab specially designed for the Chemistry Club, to which Lala and Rukia nodded to.

"I see!"

'Why is Rito acting so strangely..? Perhaps these two know..? ..who am I kidding?'

"And this one's the Cooking Club." Lala would nod, looking inside and smiling brightly. Rukia would then snap out of her thoughts, and pick up the pace to catch up with them. Haruna would then examine Lala's face, blinking. 'Does she not remember that.. We've met before..?' She would then notice that Lala's tail was wagging, blinking. 'That's.. Not real is it..? It has to be an accessory.. Right?'

"Hey, hey, Haruna?" This would then cause Haruna's attention to shoot up from her tail to Lala's face.

"Oh, y-yes?" Rukia looked to Lala as well.

"School is so fun, don't ya think? Everyone's all together and having a great time! I'm so glad I came here!"

"Is.. that so.."

Rukia would then look away slightly. 'That's a way to look at it..'

Once they had finished touring the first building, the three of them would reach the outside, Lala placing her hands behind her head as she looked around. "Sooo, Haruna."

Haruna would then swing around, looking to Lala. "Yes?"

"Is there somebody you like, Haruna?" Upon Lala asking that question, Haruna's face immediately turned to a bright red.

"U-Uh, what makes you ask that all of a sudden?!" Rukia couldn't help but giggle at her expression.

"Well, I personally fell in love with someone for the first time very recently." She looked upward to the sky, the wind blowing slightly as the blush on her face could blend in with her hair. "It's a weird feeling to be in love.. My heart's always pounding."

'Is she talking about.. Yuki-kun..?'

Rukia had raised a brow as she watched them. 'So even extraterrestial beings can experience human emotions..'

"So.." Haruna looked up to Lala, placing a hand on her chest as she would feel her heart beating faster. "Do you..?"

Soon, the three's attention was caught by the baseball that would suddenly drop onto the ground nearby them, which Lala would quickly run over to, picking it up. "Woah.. What's this?!" She would look to it as stars formed in her eyes.

"Oh. That must be the baseball team's-"

"HEY! LEMME TRYYYYYY!" Lala would soon rush off into the distance, seemingly flying over to the baseball team.

"Lala-chan, wait!"

'Ah, well.. Best observe while I can..' Rukia would follow after them.

* * *

'What the hell?!' Rito would look around, raising a brow. He would then sigh, shrugging and grabbing his bag, slinging it over his shoulder.

"Hey. Tatsuya."

"Hm?" He would throw his head back, looking to Tatsuki. "How are ya, Tatsu-"

"Stop it. I hate when you get like that and you know it."

"..." Rito had turned his head back forward.

"I just wanted to say that he wouldn't want you to carry such a weak expression tomorrow."

"..I know, Tatsuki." Rito gripped the handle of the bag tighter.

"I made sure to wait until everyone was gone so you didn't have to force yourself to put on a fake smile.."

"..thanks.." Rito had looked down.

"I can't stand it, ya know.." Tatsuki had looked toward the window, crossing her arms. "You always forced yourself to revert to the smiley kid you used to be.. The one that had skills in sports and nothin' else.."

"It's easier than bein' a jackass."

"You've never been a jackass. And I hope it stays that way." She nearly turned around, but hadn't wanted to.

"..yeah.." Rito had released his grip slightly.

"Why'd you stop sparring with me in sixth grade?" Tatsuki looked down. "I was worried when you stopped calling me Tatsuki-chan and started skipping out on school.. When we sparred, I finally got to see eye-to-eye with you.."

"..personally.. I dunno. At that point, I even quit out on sports and all that.. Maybe I just blamed myself for what happened."

"Well.. It's not your fault."

"..mhm." He would begin walking out the door, closing it slowly behind him. Once it had shut, Tatsuki slowly turned toward the door. Her expression immediately lowered, getting up and walking over to his desk.

"..damn it.." She would punch the desk lightly.

* * *

What was left of the baseball field was what could be described as the ending appearance of a warzone, as many of those on the field were all on the ground, knocked out for the count. Especially the pitcher, who had been fidgeting slightly as Lala would then blink, putting down her bat.

"Ah.. That was so much fun!" She cheered. "Okay! Let's get going to the next one!"

"Oh.. Uh.. Okay." Haruna would blink upon examining the scene, but not long before beginning to lead them over to the other side of the outer area of the school.

"Hmhm, it seems like it won't ever be a dull moment with Lala around." Rukia smiled as she had followed after them.

"Next, I think I'll introduce you to the Girls' Tennis Club that I myself am associated with."

"Ooh, okay!"

"So you'd say this is your Division in this school?" Rukia blinked.

"Uh.. Sure, I guess you could look at it that way." Haruna would also blink, although a question mark had appeared above her head to emphasize her confusion. It would then pop as she looked over to see a male standing over by the fence. "Oh, it's Sasuga-sensei. Hello there."

"Oh, hey, Sairenji-kun." The male, Satsuga, would return the greeting with a smile.

"I'm showing our class's transfer student, Lala-chan, around all the Club Activities." She would show him Lala, who stood next to him with a blank face.

"Ah, I see." He would then look to her. "Welcome to the Tennis Club, then."

'What is this.. Aura I'm feeling..?' Rukia would raise a brow.

* * *

The girl would be walking across the hall, having seen Rito heading out towards the door and immediately dashing to the nearest corner, observing his movements from a distance as she had immediately grown a large smile.

Rito would then stop, turning towards his back and raising a brow. He would then shrug as he saw no one behind him, turning back forward. '_That's odd.. I was sure I felt someone was watching me.._' He would look around for a bit, before deducing it was simply his imagination, and he would turn back around, continuing his walk.

The girl would soon nod to herself, watching him as she had made a step outward, but had soon froze as she heard a shout behind her.

"Hey! What're ya doin' over there!" The voice had originated from a male student, judging from his attire, who had a pair gray eyes that's color seemed to lean toward silver and a slightly brownish blonde hair that would lean over his head like a mop, would be standing with a smirk on his face. His attire had very minor differences from the ordinary school uniform, including the baseball keychain hanging from his left pants pocket, and the baseball glove pin on his breast pocket. Other changes would also be from how his blazer hung loose over his torso, unbuttoned alongside the sleeves being rolled over his elbows slightly, his dress shirt underneath being opened slightly to reveal his collar bone. With further inspection, it could be seen that hanging from his right back pocket would be a black beanie that hung rather loosely out of it. "If there's some problem on your hands, allow _me _to be by your side through every one."

Behind him, was a mass of students who all carried the same short black trim on their heads, wearing their school attire in the more proper way as opposed to the blonde's loose form. "YEAH! THAT'S OUR MOTEMITSU-SENPAI! HE MAY NOT HAVE WON THAT GAME FOR THE GIRL BEFORE! BUT HE'S STILL GOIN' FOR THE LADIES!"

"..huh?" She would slowly turn toward them all, the now named Motemitsu being thrown aback by her beauty as it had been like a bright light radiating over his body as he had shielded his eyes, gasping.

'_W-Woah..! D-Don't tell that a babe this beautiful could actually be a student in our school..!_' He would quickly swipe a small notebook from the pocket of his blazer, the title of it being written as _Motemitsu's Top Secret Sainan High School Babe Complete Guide_. He would then open it quickly, flipping through the pages and scanning through every one, realizing that the girl before him had not been on a single one of the pages. '_That's.. Impossible! The notebook I took the time to fill with the information on all of the hot girls I've seen in this school.. Doesn't have a single thing about_ her..'

"Ah. Excuse me, miss. But could I ask your na-" Motemitsu would slowly look up from the notebook and see that she had been gone, dropping it as he fell to his knees in utter defeat.

"That's our Motemitsu-senpai! Immediately being disregarded!"

* * *

"This soup tastes amazing~!" Lala would be beaming, as the trio of herself, Rito, and Rukia all gathered at the Yuuki house table had been eating the dinner that Mikan had prepared, who had just set down her own plate at the last open seat at the table as she claimed it for herself, taking a seat slowly as she would then smile, looking to the beaming princess.

"It's a Miso Soup with clams."

"I see! I see! Earthling food is so delicious! Don'cha think, Rukia-chan?"

"No no, Lala-san. It's all in the cook's skills." Mikan would wave her finger to Lala's statement with a smirk, while Rukia had giggled a bit to her reaction.

"My. That's quite the confidence you have." Rukia placed a hand on her chin. "Do you perhaps plan to be someone's housewife someday?"

"Wha-!?" Mikan's face would turn red briefly, Mikan averting her gaze a bit before shaking her head to remove the blush. "Where'd that come from, Rukia?"

"Oh, don't mind me, I was just expressing my perspective." Rukia had finished her bowl, causing Mikan to reply with a slight scowl.

"Well, ya didn't have to do that so suddenly!"

"Aw, but your reaction was so cute."

"Why you..!"

Rito had simply smiled as he watched the three of them, finishing his own food silently as he had been deep in thought. '_Well.. Maybe this isn't so bad.. I mean.. Yeah. There's all that Hollow hunting stuff and Lala's inventions do cause more trouble than they're worth.. But the people themselves are.. Rather soothing to be around.. Give or take._' Mikan would then look to Rito with a grin.

"Hey, Rito."

Rito would then blink, snapping out of his thoughts suddenly as he looked to her. "U- Yeah, what's up, Mikan?" He had quickly picked up his glasses of water, taking a gulp of its internal contents as he listened to her.

"So, when are you going to marry Lala-san?" She tilted her head, which would prompt Rito to spit all of the water he took in right back out, unknowingly in Lala's face as he threw his head back toward her.

"H-Huh?! Mikan, what're ya sayin'?! You're actin' like she's already part of the family! She is a _troublemaker_ alien!"

"Ah, who cares? She looks, speaks, and acts human enough, and nobody's ever died. Plus, there are pretty much only us and Rukia, so there's plenty of room. Plus, Rukia's not going to just stay forever. The company would be great."

Rukia had paused as she heard that. '_She's right.. I _can't _stay forever.._'

"Another plus, after Lala showed up, the atmosphere of the house became more bright and cheery, don't you agree, Rukia?" Mikan looked to the girl in thought, who had snapped out of it upon cue and nodded, smiling.

"Ah, yes. That is true." Rukia had smiled.

'_Yeah, I guess that's true.. But it's still been a pain.._' Rito had sweatdropped, twitching his brow. '_I can't remember the last time one of her inventions _hasn't _put me in some crazy situation where I end up getting either slammed or pummeled with kendo swords._'

"Rito~!" Rito spun his head as he was soon glomped by the girl of their topic, who hugged him tightly, her head dried thanks to the towel that now hung in her hand. "Now that we're all done with dinner, we should take a bath together~!"

"Wait a minu- A BATH?!" Rito's face had immediately changed to a cherry's color as he had flailed his arms in protest to symbolize his scrambled response. His mind would immediately paint the picture that the scrambled thoughts of his were attempting to draw.

_Bubbles had been slowly rising as a hand had been gently placed on the wall. In the center of this bathtub stood Lala and Rito, the ladder having a soap in hand as he used it to venture over her skin with soap laced over it as she had gasped, wincing a bit._

_"Ah~ That tickles, Rito~" She would giggle, soon bringing her hand that was on the wall down to his, gently grasping it as she used her other to wrap her free arm around his neck. "You've got to make sure you wash _thoroughly_~"_

Rito would then fling out of his chair from jumping in response, which had caused Lala to briefly loose balance as she blinked, looking up to see that Rito had been standing towards the end of the room, shaking his head violently. "Nope! No! Nuh uh, not happening!"

Rukia had smirked, crossing her arms. "So there _is _something Rito's scared of doing."

"Yeah. His confidence around even the thought of a naked woman is likely close to zero." Mikan giggled.

"Ooh! Mikan, why don't you come along, then?" Lala had smiled. "I don't really feel comfortable taking a bath all on my lonesome, I've always had a ton of maids when I took a bath, so.. Blep." She had stuck out her tongue in a cute manner as she giggled.

"Ah, that sounds pretty annoying." Mikan placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Hmm.. Now that you mention it, a bath sounds soothing." Rukia chimed in, which had brought Lala to blur over to her and grasp her hand.

"Ooh! Let's go then, Rukia!" She would pull her out from her seat and towards the bathroom in a blur, causing Rito to narrow his eyes as the slight dust picked up, Mikan blinking.

"She's definitely alien. I hope Rukia'll be ok."

Rito shrugged. "I'm sure they'll be _fine_." Rito breathed a sigh. '_I guess it makes sense then that she wasn't bothered in the slightest when she appeared in my bathtub and the both of us were naked.._'

Then, the two siblings had shot their attention towards the door as entering the house had been Saibai Yuki and Rai, the ladder having a bored expression on his face as he had seemed to wear his _long haul_ headband that would match with Saibai's own had been over his left eye. "Oh, perfect! You guys are already ready to go!" Saibai grinned.

He had walked over to them after Rai closed the door behind him rubbing the back of his neck as he followed after.

"Alright!" Saibai would slam his hand on the table. "Before we discuss our plans for tomorrow, we'll go over the fact that we not only managed to meet our deadline, but we also managed to _almost _get through half of the next volume!"

"Didn't you also lose all of your assistants?" Mikan raised a brow.

"I-" Saibai lacked a proper response, which would cause Rai to laugh as he pulled out the chair Lala had been previously sitting in and claiming it as his own, laying his feet on the table.

"Damn right. They couldn't keep up with Yuki's unnaturally fast manga drawing, and deciding that workin' with him was _way _too exhausting." He smirked.

"You work with him though." Mikan deadpanned.

"That's cuz I can keep up." Rai shrugged.

"_Anyway_! That's enough small talk! We're going to decide our game plans for tomorrow now!" Saibai would raise his finger with a smirk.

"You're the one making small talk, Dad.." Mikan chimed in.

"I am the _chairman_, nothing I say is small talk, _Chief-of-Staff_." Saibai would grin, grabbing at his headband and pulling at it slightly.

"Ch.. Chief of staff..?" She had smiled brightly, gasping as she had grinned widely. She had seemed quite pleased of herself to be given such an important role.

Rito simply smiled as the three had discussed their plans, but would then pause, sitting back a bit. "Hey, where's Mom?"

"Ah. She's still out on a business trip, Tatsuya." Saibai would respond, which would cause Rito to click his teeth in annoyance.

"Another year she's gone, eh?" He crossed his arms. "She wasn't even there for the funeral.."

"Come on, Rito.." Mikan had looked to him with a pitying expression.

"Yes, that's exactly right, _Chief-of-Staff_! You shouldn't have such a scowl on your face, Tatsuya! It would sour your Grandfather's memory!"

* * *

After a while, the planning process had concluded, Mikan had been asleep in her room, Rai and Saibai having a chat in the living room, and Rito in his room with the two girls that had literally _barged _into his life, as per usual.

"That looked really fun." Lala had spoken up, looking to Rito who would be stretching.

"What was?" Rito looked to her, which Rukia, in a set of Mikan's pajamas, had responded with "Ya know. That family meeting of yours."

She would then punch forward with a smirk. "So, you guys're skipping school and going out on some kind of gathering or something?"

"Hey. Rukia." Rito would look up toward the wall, biting his lip lightly. "About the whole Soul Reaper thing.. Could I, uh.. Take a day off tomorrow..?"

"What..?" Rukia had blinked, her smile still remaining, before it had completely shattered as she threw her arms down. "A day off?! Have you gone insane?! You've been acting strange all day today, so I was worried, but now you've proved it."

"Yeah, Rito, you've got a responsibility, right?" Lala had looked to him with a worried expression.

"Listen. Tomorrow's important, ok?" Rito had scratched the back of his head, which got both Lala and Rukia's silence to allow him to explain. "Tomorrow's the anniversary.. Of my grandfather's passing.." He would then pocket his hands, looking up toward the ceiling. "No.. It wasn't just his passing.. It was his _murder_."

* * *

_A young Rito would be dashing through the rain, his raincoat hood over his head as he had his arms out and wide as he grinned widely. Following behind him had been a man toward his 70s who seemed rather well built, though any man who took a look at his face would be able to tell his age. His attire consisting of a white dress shirt covered over by a auburn raincoat that had clouded over his head whilst in his gloved hand had been a pitch black umbrella that had further clouded over the male. His pants would be a black color that would sit over the top of his brown shoes, that would both have clear black laces. His light silver hair had been just over his right eyeball as he had followed after him with a smile on his face, pocketing his free hand._

_"Don't run too far now.."_

_"I won't, Grandpa! Promise!" Rito would response cheerfully. The boy would rush forward with his smile strong before his mouth and eyes would both widen as he had slipped on a wet area of the pavement, he would lose his balance as he had slammed down toward the ground, grunting as his cheek clashed with the ground._

_The elder man would blink as she watched the scene, walking over toward the boy, who would be standing up, going to rub his cheek, but turned toward his grandfather as he kneeled next to him. "You know, you should learn to be more careful." He would raise his free hand, it going to venture into the innards of his raincoat. Once returning from the unknown, it had a handkerchief in its grasp. The man would then raise it toward Rito's face, slowly rubbing off the bits and crumbles of asphalt that would have taken volume over it._

_"I am careful! I just missed a step, that's all!" Rito had pouted, crossing his arms as his grandfather only chuckled._

_"I'm just saying that because I'm worried about you." He chuckled, grinning as he watched the boy smile back, before the boy turned, running off again before he stopped, turning toward the river as he would raise a brow._

_His grandfather would stop, blinking. "What is it, Tatsu?" He looked out to where he looked, tilting his head as he looked to Rito, who would quickly dash toward the river. "Hey, Tatsu, hold on!" He would then stop, seeming to turn toward something, narrowing his eyes._

_Rito would be rushing over toward a girl that had been standing at the bare edge of the shore, seeming to be about to walk into it as Rito had been doing his best to attempt to stop her._

_"WAIT!" He would jump forward, reaching his hand out toward her, but it would seem his hand had phased through as the girl had come to disappear from his view. He would soon fall, grunting a bit as he had sat up, shaking his head and looking around. "W-Where'd she go..?" He would then look behind him as he heard a scream of pain, the voice producing this scream Rito recognized. "GRANDPA!" He would quickly kick off his feet and dash toward the source location, not caring for the amount of times he fell into the grass._

_"Grandpa!" He called again, there was no answer. He looked around, seeing no signs of him being nearby the same spot he had been before. "Grandpa!" He would quickly kick at the ground again as he dashed toward the left side of the path, heading toward the stairway leading underneath the bridge that had connected the gap the river had created in the two sections of the town. When he had stopped, grasping his knees to take a breathe, he would then look up, his eyes widening upon what had been before them._

_'_I remember it clearly.._' Rito would then straighten himself, beginning to walk down the stairs. The rain matching each one with a thousand drops. '_Every star that was behind the clouds that night.. And how many raindrops fell.._' He would open his mouth to speak, but no words or sound would escape his lips. '_I wanted to say something.. Wanted to make my fears fade, but.._' He would come closer, a trail of crimson being what his feet had been met with as he continued to do so. '_I didn't want to accept the fact.._' He would now be standing over what he had saw, his eyes devoid of all light. '_But.. Even then.. I knew that I had to accept it.._' What he had been gawking at, was his grandfather's body. His only evidence was the clothing, but his instincts had told him the answer. A large gaping hole in his chest, and his face torn to shreds as the brain that would have been inside of the shattered skull had been completely missing, only the blood from inside of his head left to evidence its place there. Tatsuya's grandfather.. Satsuma Yuki.. Had been dead._

_'_..and it's my fault._'_

* * *

**『_Through Heart and Soul: To-Love_ _Ru_』**

**【****Chapter 5 | New Life Acknowledgement, Part 2 ~ memories in the rain ~****】**

* * *

Tatsuki would knock on a door lightly, looking away from it for a moment as she placed her hands in her pockets. She had decided to head over to Haruna's house because her best friend wanted to know what Tatsuki had known about Rito that she didn't. She had cleared her throat for a moment as she turned away a bit, scratching the back of her head.

She would then stop, turning as she saw the door open, the individual behind it had been a woman who's face and eyes had been an immediate reflection of Haruna's own. Though, her hair and figure had been much more grown and mature than the latter's. Her attire was that of a blouse that would open just over the top of her breasts, which would be guarded by the orange undershirt that's collar folded over it, though not concealing the pink straps would hill over her shoulders.

"Oh! Tatsuki-chan! Haruna's upstairs. Come on in!" The woman would smile brightly, to which Tatsuki would respond in kind.

"Sure thing." She would accept the invite, walking inside as the door would soon close behind them.

* * *

"Ready..!" A girl who had carried a starter gun in hand had raised her arm upward, readying her finger on the trigger as the one standing at the near curve of the track had been Lala, who would crouch down, bending her right leg backwards, outstretching her left as she took a breathe inward. Then, the gun would fire, causing Lala to react by dashing forward in a burst of speed that would easily outpace the dust that kicked up behind her before the clouds that would be formed from her movement had all been too slow for Lala.

Once Lala had slid to stop herself, fixing her position with a peace sign over her eye with a bright smile, the female students watching had all gawked, especially the one who carried the timer.

"1-100 meters.. In 1-10.9.. Seconds.." They had all soon jumped around her as they looked to the timer to validate her statement, which caused them all to begin bickering amongst one another.

"You had to have measured it wrong, right..?"

"Y-yeah.. Must have.."

Lala would then place her hands on her hips, looking to the group of girls who would be overshadowed by the cloud of inferiority spreading vastly over their heads. "_You know, Lala-sama.. I believe you _may _want to hold back your strength more than that.._" Which Lala would reply with a pout, pulling at the back of her shorts sleeve.

Tatsuki would then walk over to the pinkette, stretching a bit. "That was impressive, Lala."

"You think so, Tatsuki?" Lala smiled brightly to her in response.

Watching over her had been a silent Sasuga, who had his arms crossed.

Risa would whistle. "Man, that chick's frickin incredible. No wonder Tatsuki's gettin' along with her so well. Right, Ha-" She would turn her head towards Haruna, who had been staring off toward the boys side of the field. "Haruna?"

She saw that the boys had been playing a game of soccer, which had bothered her because it didn't feel right to her for them to play that game without Rito's presence. She would then look down a bit. However, before she could be ensnared by her thoughts, she had been pulled away from them as her breasts were now in Risa's grasp, who took full advantage of the opportunity as she rubbed and fondled them.

"Hey there, Haruna-chan~! What's goin' on~? Your boobs are small and cute as usual!" Risa would cheer as she continued to fondle them, much to Haruna's chagrin as she had no response as she had turned red as a cherry from a sensitive part of her body being toyed with.

"Hehe, you've been spacing out a lot, Haruna!" Mio would cheer behind them.

Then, Haruna would quickly jump away as Risa loosened her grip, taking the initiative to quickly barricade her breasts with her arms.

"Yeah. I bet you're in love or something." Risa had shrugged, smiling a bit at Haruna's reaction.

"Ooh! Is it Sasuga-sensei?! It's gotta be, he's totally hot~!"

Haruna would then quickly raise her hands forward, shaking them along with her head. "N-No, it's nothing like that at all!"

Over towards, the bench, Rukia had been sitting in her gym uniform, biting her nail. She had been hugging her knees as her head had been lowered to stare toward them. "I'm such an idiot.."

_Rito had been staring toward the ceiling, silent as Rukia had recoiled after hearing this. "..hey.. Are you mad..?"_

_Rukia would pause, looking up toward him and sighing. "No.. I'm.. More curious." This had caused Rito to turn toward her, which would cause her to return his gaze with her own. "You just said that he had been _killed_." In an instant, Rito would then avert her gaze. "Isn't that what you said Ri-"_

_"It isn't."_

_"Then who killed her?"_

_"I never said _anyone _did, now let it be." Rito puffed his cheek, pocketing his hands._

_"Just tell me one thing." Rukia had brought her hand to her chin, thinking over the possibilities of what could be the missing blank. "You've previously stated that you've been able to see spiritual entities for as long as you can remember.. So, is it possible that.. Your grandfather's life was taken by a.. Hollow?" Rito would then freeze, looking up slightly. "I mean, it is a possibility. Considering the fact that you had a spiritual pressure dense enough for you to see spiritual entities since you were a child.. A Hollow that had been targeting may have-"_

_"DON'T! Don't you dare start with that crap!" Rito slammed his foot down onto the ground, grinding it a bit. This had caused Rukia to be taken aback, Lala simply backing further from the two, closer to her taken spot on the bed as she hadn't wanted to be swallowed by the tension. "You've got no damn clue.. What the hell's your obsession with Hollows anyway..?" He would click his teeth in annoyance as he gripped onto his pockets tightly whilst clenching fists. "What does it matter.. It's ridiculous to blame my life problems on _your _crap.. It's _not _what happened, damn it!" He would then turn his head back toward Rukia. "So just butt out, alright?!" He would then quickly turn back around, sighing as he would walk over to the counter, picking up Kon, who had been hiding behind the lamp and dropping him into his bag._

_"Rito, I-"_

_"I want you to go to school. Both you and Lala." Rito had looked to Rukia, who had looked toward him with a brow raised._

_"What do you mean? What if a Hollow co-"_

_"That's what I've got Kon for, right?" Rito had twitched his brow as Kon had screamed in protest in his bag, causing him to squeeze him tightly as he would throw his soft paws onto his wrists._

_"Lemme go! Lemme g-!" Rito had quickly swiped his hand out, zipping the bag closed as it would flop over, as Kon would be struggling to escape. He would then flop onto the bed, grumbling a bit as he had stretched upwards, not wanting to accidentally strike Lala._

_"Rito.." She would look to him, but then shrug and lay down beside him, watching him as Peke had released from his clothing state._

"I should have realized.." She sighed. "How deep his wounds were.. And that I only rubbed salt over them.."

"Alright, that's all for today." Rukia would then raise her head as she saw Sasuga speak up toward the girls out on the field, who would all in response crowd around him.

"Hey, Sasuga-sensei, let's eat lunch together!"

"No. Don't you be sneaky. Eat lunch with _us_, Sensei!"

Sasuga would then lower his head slightly, his bangs overshadowing his eyes. "Ah ha.. I apologize, but.. There's something important I must do.." He would then slowly turn his head to look behind him, his hazel eyes staring directly at Haruna, who had been speaking with Risa, Mio, and Tatsuki, who had just finished clobbering some of the male students, as seen as she had judo tossed one over to the pile she left aside. "Hey.. Sairenji.."

Haruna would then turn toward Sasuga, tilting her head slightly.

* * *

"Wooh!" The party of Rai, Mikan, Saibai, and Rito had all been climbing up a long hill, which had been an obstacle in their journey to where Satsuma had been buried. "Is it just me, or does this hill get tougher every year..?" Rai would raise a brow, as he had been slowing in pace.

"I think it's just you. All that sleepin' might be finally getting to you." Mikan would carry onward.

Saibai had then grit his teeth as he had soon raised his fist into the air. "COME ON, RAI! YOU CAN'T GIVE UP NOW! WE'RE ALMOST TO THE TOP! THROUGH THE LONG HAUL WE GOOOO!" Saibai had grinned as he had then flipped onto his hands, now walking toward them using his palms as opposed to his feet.

"Don't give him an ounce of attention, Mikan. It only increases his drive." Rai would ignore him, walking forward, Mikan shrugging and keeping her pace as well.

"That's not true at all.." Saibai would smirk, before suddenly he had picked up his pace, dust clouds forming behind him. "I'VE GOT ALL THE SELF MOTIVATION NECESSARY TO BOLSTER ME THROUGH THIS ENDEAVOR!" Rai would twitch his brow as he saw him racing toward them.

"RUN!" He told Mikan quickly, as the two did exactly that.

Although, upon reaching toward Mikan, Saibai would stop in his laugh of triumph as his hands had lost their placing on the ground and he would slide across it. "O- It would seem that I have slipped-" He would then widen his eyes upon looking upward toward Mikan's rising skirt. "Are those polka dots?! You're growing so fast-" What he hadn't seen, was that Rai was the next destination for his ground sliding exhibition, who would without hesitation throw a hard kick that would send him tumbling down the hill.

"Ya damn pervert.." He twitched his brow as Mikan pushed down her skirt in order to cover over the area of which her father had his gaze.

"A-A total wipeout! Thanks to this, our manga may be pushed back some..!"

"Yeah, well that's fine! We're low on staff anyway, remember?!" Rai would retort, pocketing his hands.

Rito would simply blink upon overseeing these events unfold, but had simply shrugged, a smile forming on his face as he continued walking with Rai and Mikan.

From the bushes, the girl that Rito had encountered before had been observing the situation, a pout on her face. "Hm.. I was wondering why he hadn't been at school.. Ah mou.. Now I don't have any chances."

Rito would wipe his forehead, sighing out as he stared into the sky. "Man.. It's really hot today.." He would then pop his neck. "It's only June, but it's already scorching.." He would then look toward the river, narrowing his eyes slightly as he was taken back to the day that the rain was his voice. "June 17th again.. But so different than before.."

"Hey, Rito!" He would then turn toward Mikan and Rai. "You coming along?"

Rito would then look back toward the river, before shrugging his shoulders and turning back toward them. "Yeah." He smiled as he did so, pocketing his hands.

As the two of them had continued walking on, Rito would then stop, looking over to his right, raising a brow as he saw a familiar figure, though before he could look closer, it had seemed they were no longer there. "..hm.. Must be imagining things.." He would turn toward Mikan and Rai, ceasing his pause as he followed after them, Saibai running behind them.

* * *

_"When was it.." Tatsuki tapped her chin. Haruna looking to her with a brow raised. "..when he stopped smiling.." _

_"Ah. Yeah, I remember.. I met him when we were six. He had just moved to the town and was the newbie at the dojo we used to go two. His hair was the brightest, and his face always had this wide smile on it.. And his gramps was the nicest guy.. He was always by his side." She would then roll her eyes upward, puffing her cheeks as she continued. "He was super scrawny and always had this huge smile. He was really a wimp." She would lean over slightly, placing a palm over her cheek. "He was weak, too. Always cried after he lost." She would then bounce up from her leaned position, punching into her palm. "And get this, I was the first in the dojo to make 'im cry! One swift kick to the jaw had 'im in tears in less than 10 seconds!"_

_Haruna would look toward her with a soft expression._

_Tatsuki would look down. "But.. As soon as his grandpa appeared at the door.. His tears would seem to disappear and that smile came right back.. It was so stupid.. How could a boy smile after he's lost..?" She would look away, placing her hands together. "Whenever I saw that grin, I would only be able to think.. What a baby.. Clinging to his gramps like that.."_

_Haruna would frown as she saw Tatsuki clutch her hands together tighter. "But.. He looked so happy.. His smile was so sweet.. I eventually got so used to it that.. I grew to adore it.. It was just how he was.. In the beginning anyway.." She would then raise her hand, bringing it over her face._

_"But then he died.." Tatsuki gripped her hair tightly. "When he was 11.." She had looked down, her bangs hanging over her eyes. "I was 11, too, so.. I couldn't understand.. All I knew was that he was 11 and still attached to his gramps like a damn parasite.. But.. He died.." _

_Haruna would lower her hands to sit between her legs, as her dog, Marron would walk over to her foot, lying down next to her foot._

_"He was gone from school for the longest time.. So I looked around for him.. I had always found him by that same river, walking around with his little backpack, from day to night.. It was like he was looking for him.. Whenever he got tired, he'd squat down for a while.. But then he'd get back up and continue his search.. It was every day, morning to night.." She would look down, clutching her hands together tightly. "I just.. Couldn't stand to see him like that.. Not the Tatsuya that always had a stupidly wide grin.."_

* * *

_On the morning of the anniversary of Satsuma's passing, Rito had been throwing his backpack on as he made his way out the door, before he would stop in the hall. He would then take a breathe, before slamming the side of his fist into the wall. "There's.. No way a Hollow.. Could have killed Grandpa.." He looked down, his bangs overshadowing his eyes. "..because it was me.."  
_

_As Rito had been clenching his fists, solemnly hovering over his past, Rukia had been standing by the door, looking down a bit, arms crossed._

* * *

**What memories were made in the rain..?**

* * *

Mikan would kneel down before a stone slab, placing his palms together as she lowered her head slightly as she had begun to speak aloud in her mind. '_It's been quite a long while, grandpa.. Well, you're dead, so that's not great at all, huh.._' She would then look up toward it slightly. '_We're all fine.. Me, Dad, all his friends..__ But.._'

She would then turn her head, looking to Saibai, who would be quickly drawing on a large sheet of paper. '_Goat chin over there is having _way _too much fun, and honestly it's a bit of a_ _pain.._' Saibai would then raise it with excitement.

"Look, Satsuma! I drew you a _SUPER, MEGA, LARGE PICTURE_ just for you! Saibai Yuki authentic!" He would then look to Rito. "Come on, Rito! You've gotta do somethin' to show to your Gramps that you've done some hard work!"

"Saibai, I think you're taking this visit the wrong way.." Rai would sweatdrop.

* * *

_"..because it was me.."_

Rukia would be sitting at her desk, staring out the window. '_Rito killed his grandfather..?_' She would then look down. '_It couldn't have been on purpose.. It was probably just a random homicide or an accident of some kind.._'

"Hey.. Where's Haruna?" Risa would raise a brow, as fellow students in their class had all walked by.

"Huh? You mean she didn't come back to the classroom first..?" Mio looked to her, resting her head in her palm.

"Oh. I saw Haruna walking to the supply room with Sasuga-sensei." A female student had informed Risa and Mio, carrying her own bento box.

"Eh- What? Are they going out or something?"

Rukia would then turn toward them, raising a brow. '_Haruna and Sasuga..? Hm. I could have sworn she would blush at the mention of Rito's name.._' She would then look downward, remembering the nefarious presence she felt from him the day Haruna introduced her and-

"RUKIA~! LET'S HAVE LUNCH TOGETHER~!" Lala would zoom over toward Rukia, raising her bento box into the air. "Lookie here! Mikan made me a lunchbox~!"

Rukia would then blink, before tilting her head. "What makes you want to eat lunch with me?"

"Because I want to~!" Lala would smile.

All of the male students in the room would swing their heads toward Lala and Rukia, amongst them being a drooling Saruyama. "Aw man~ It's the two adorable transfers~"

"God, Lala-chan.. She likes that bastard Yuki.."

"Well.. Yuki doesn't like her back, right..?" Saruyama smirked. "Then we've got ourselves a chance."

Rukia would then stop, turning out toward the door and quickly getting up from her chair, dashing out toward the door and down the hallway.

"Wait a minute, Ruki-"

"Hold on, Lala-chan!" Four of the males, including Saruyama, would gather around Lala, who would stop, blinking as she turned toward them with a brow raised. "Forget about her and eat lunch with us, eh?"

* * *

Sasuga had sighed, putting his phone into his pocket. The room they had been located inside of had been dark, a light had barely escaped from the door that led up the stairs, the door locked as light had escaped through the openings that led to a much brighter area.

"Man.. I was hoping he'd pick up.. Aw, well. Just means I can have some fun before he decides to finally answer his calls.." He would turn his head to look behind him, licking his lips. "Right.. Haruna-chan..?"

The girl he had mentioned was hanging from wires that would wrap around her arms as he walked over as he raised his hand toward her shirt, but would then refrain. "Hmm.. No. That puts a bad taste in my mouth.." He would sigh, turning away as he would walk over to a bench at the other side of the room, taking a seat atop it as he had grinned to himself.

* * *

Rito had been standing over the grave of his grandfather, his hands pocketed.

_"Is it true?" Tatsuki would look to Rito, who had been kicking his legs as he sat along a railing, staring out to the town before him. "Ya know, that you can see ghosts?"_

_He would then reel his head back toward her, before looking back forward. "Of course not."_

_"Hmm.. That's what I thought.. Those jerks were full'a crap." She would place her elbow on the railing, resting her head in her palm. "Mikami would always talk about how you would be talkin' to things nobody else could see.. She always said they were ghosts.."_

_"Ah ha ha.. That seems silly, ya know?" He would only smile in response. _

_'_I've been able to see ghosts for as long as I can remember.. So clearly that.. I always had trouble distinguishing them from living people when I was a kid.. So I was always used to those questions. Figured they would subside and the people asking would leave me alone if I laughed it off. So it wasn't much of an issue.._'_

Rito would then look up to the blue sky above him, being taken back to the sky that had rained on that grim day.

_Rito had sat in Mikan's room, hugging Mikan as she had released heavy amounts of tears in her sobs into his shirt. The 8 year old Mikan had also experienced the loss of Satsuma, and it was very hard._

_'_From Mikan.._'_

_Saibai would be sitting at the table, hand over his face as he had been sitting at the table, on his lonesome, crying silently as a bottle of sake had been sitting next to him, which the eleven year old Rito would clearly be able to see._

_'_From Dad.._'_

_Rito had been on the phone, looking down with his eyes overshadowed by his bangs as he heard his mother trying desperately not to cry as she spoke to him, but pressing onwards with her words. "Stay strong, baby.. It's going to be ok.."_

_'_Even Mom.._'_

'_I took grandpa from everyone.._' He had grasped onto his hair, clutching it tightly as he looked downward, gritting his teeth as he had thought over it more. '_He was practically the center of our universe.. And I tore it right out.._' He would crouch down to the grave, sighing as he would place his hands together. "..hope you're doin'a alright.. Wherever you are.."

He would then stand, nodding toward the memorial stone before turning away, hearing a whistle that's sound was very much alike with that of a chicken. "Damn it.. He pulled that thing out.."

He would then stop as he heard his backpack unzipping, turning toward the opening bag as he saw Kon's arm emerge from it as soon his full body would sprout. "Heeey!"

"Heh? What is it, Kon? I don't think I said you could just pop out whenever you wanted to." Rito had pocketed his hands.

"C'mon! It's hot and stuffy in here, ya know!" He would then reach deep into the bag, pulling out Rito's phone. "Ya know, you've got a phone call, it might be important!"

He had raised a brow, looking back toward him. "Heh? A phone call? Who was it from?"

"Some dude named Sasuga, I think."

"Sasuga? Why the hell would the Tennis Club Advisor want with me..?" Rito had blinked. Then, he would soon turn toward the distance as he narrowed his eyes, rushing off toward it.

* * *

Mikan would sigh, looking down. She had been hoping that Rito would be here so that they could walk back together. But. She saw no signs of him. She would then sigh as she rested her hand in her palms. She would then turn as she saw a green haired girl walking along the path, looking around, humming about a _Rito-kun_, which she knew the name instantly.

"Hey.. Are you a friend of my brother's?" Mikan would look up toward the girl who would smile to her.

"That depends. Who might your brother be?" She tilted her head, placing a finger on her cheek lightly.

"Ah, well. I heard you mention _Rito-kun_, so I figured it was my brother, Rito Yuki." Mikan had responded, which would cause the girl she spoke to to only smile brightly, turning away a bit.

'_Ooh! This is his _sister_?! I should make friends with her, then she'll accept me happily as her sister-in-la-_' She would then spin back toward Mikan, who would have a raised brow at the girl's sudden beaming expression. "Yes, definitely! I'm Run!" She would smile brightly toward her. '_But I just _know _that we'll be more than friends!_'

"Nice to meet you, Run. I'm Mikan." She would nod her head slightly, sweatdropping as she watched the girl chuckle to herself. '_Must be good friends or something.._' Mikan would nod to herself, watching her silently. Then, with a sudden turn of her head, Mikan would be looking out toward the distance, seeing a girl who wore a pink dress that went over her body, black highlights over it as they had stretched over the entirety of it.

"Who.. Is that..?" Mikan would mutter to herself, the girl tilting her head.

"Who..?" Run would look out toward where Mikan had, seeing the girl, however not feeling the same ominous presence that Mikan had.

'_This feeling.. It's just like.._' Mikan would look down for a moment, before she would stand up from where she stood and began to walk toward the girl. "Give me a minute, ok, Run?"

"Huh?" Run would tilt her head. "Mikan..?"

The girl in question would be making her way toward the girl, raising a brow as she placed a hand on her hip. "Why are you just staring off the cliff like that?" The girl would slowly turn toward her, her black bob cut over her large, beady blue eyes now apparent. "If there's a problem you need to sort out, there's a priest just down the block." She would jab her other thumb back toward the church down the corner.

"So you.. Can _see _me?"

"Oh. You're a ghost.. Uh.. Yeah. I'm one of those special people." She would then move her free hand to place a finger over her lips. "But don't tell anyone, ok? It's kinda embarrassing."

"So you can hear me too.." The girl would begin to smile, to which Mikan had tilted her hand.

"Well, how else would I be able to reply to you?" She would sigh, before she would then stop, freezing up as she felt a sudden presence swallow over her own as she looked up toward the girl, widening her eyes upon the figure that would begin to form behind her.

"This is.. _Splendid _news.." The girl would mutter as she lifted her head, giving a crazed grin toward Mikan.

Run would then be blinking, turning toward the cliff, widening her eyes. "Mikan-chan!" She would rush over.

* * *

Saibai would be blowing into one of the many whistles he would use to call his assistants when he called them back from their usual trips around to find inspiration for their next chapter, which had resembled that of a chicken and had made a noise similar to that of one's clucks. Sitting on the ground next to him would be Rai, who had been reading Icha Icha Paradise as he had Saibai's backpack next to him.

"Damn.. I was _sure _it would get their attention.." He would place a hand on his hip.

"Ya know.. They're growin' up ya know. They've got their own lives that they're probably enjoying right now."

"Yeah, I know! Why do you think I'm using the whistle?" He would then turn. "And I don't care about _both _of 'em. I'm just worried about my adorable little Mikan."

"E- Ya know. I think you're a warped father." Rai would look up from his novel, shaking his head.

"HEH?! How am I warped, huh?! Tatsuya can handle himself!" Saibai would turn away.

"And how do you know that for sure, Sai? Remember, today is the day that Rito is the most off center." He would close his book, standing up, pocketing his hands. "Satsuma's death hit Rito the hardest.. Hell, I'm surprised he's come every year.. Katsumioji and the rest don't want to come here cuz they're worried they'll look bad in front of him.."

Saibai would then sigh, crossing his arms, lowering his head and closing his eyes. "Listen. Tatsuya is a lot stronger than you think.." He would look upward toward the sky. "Satsuma saw that better than anyone.. And he plans to entrust everything he left behind to him."

"Huh? Satsuma? Passing the torch? Doesn't sound like 'im."

"Heh. I didn't believe it either when he told me." Saibai chuckled. "But.. I guess Tatsuya is still struggling to come to terms with his world.. But. He'll find his way."

"For someone who claims he doesn't care all that much, you sure seem to have a lot of faith in your son." Rai would smile, tilting his head slightly.

"Well yeah. I'm a father. It's my job to believe in my kids." Saibai shook his head. "Anyway, pass me the dog whistle would ya? Maybe it'll get Mikan's attention."

* * *

The students in the hallway would turn as Rukia would quickly dash past all of them, her pace quick as she had dashed forward. She had grit her teeth as she had continued her rush.

'_This ominous feeling.. It couldn't be.._'

"Hey! No running in the hallwa-" Before the teacher that tried to intervene in Rukia's dash could finish, she had already been long gone. "..oh."

* * *

"What.. Are you..?" Mikan would widen her eyes, backing away slightly. "And what is that.. Thing..?" She would raise her hand to point toward a creature that would begin forming in her view. It had come to resemble a giant hamster with moss green fur that would spread over it's main body, stopping at the face, arms, and legs. It's arms and legs both had a bird-like aesthetic to them as red was their color, which had matched the tentacle that had been slinging from it's forehead that resembled the lure of an anglerfish. Its large mask had an intricate design as it had matched the shape of his overall body and had a large hole for it's massive lips, two holes for it's rather large eyes, and a circular flame shaped hole aesthetic going across from the two holes on either side of the slight curve over the center of the mask which had come to represent its nostrils, each being evenly divided and facing the opposite direction of which they were towards. "..behind you..?"

"I see.. So you can see _that_ too..?" The child would grin, laughing loudly before it would soon evolve into a sadistic smirk as she had raised her head, tilting it lightly. "You really _are _gifted.."

Run would be running toward the location where Mikan had been located, stopping to find that she had been thrown back by the large creature, her tumbling across the ground. "Mikan-chan!" She would move to assist her in standing, but Mikan had raised a hand.

"No.. Don't come here.." Mikan would protest against her coming, before she would scream out in pain as the creature had slammed it's large hand over Mikan's body, pinning it down with its size alone. This would prompt Run to run over in attempts to pull the arm off.

"Hey! Let go of Mikan-chan right now!" She would plead as she pulled at it more, getting it to budge slightly, before the creature would narrow it's eyes, releasing from the hole in its mask to the far left, a tentacle like appendage that would quickly wrap around Run's neck, pushing her away from Mikan swiftly and raising her into the air.

"Hmm.. This woman is a problem.. Her strength is beyond that of a regular humans.. But her efforts are just as futile." The girl accomplice of the Hollow had narrowed her eyes toward Run, who had struggled to maintain her breath and escape from the creature's grasp. "Tch.. The older they are the more bitter they taste.. You won't even make an appetizer, but.. I think I'll devour you _first_!"

* * *

"Fufufu.." Sasuga would stand, pulling his hands from his pockets as he revealed a key like button that had been silver with gold aesthetics spread throughout the exterior of it. "Now that I'm actually taking a closer look.. This one's just as good as Lala.." He would grin as he gave Haruna a once over, noticing her modest shape and licking his lips, before clicking the button as the wires around her would tighten as more had emerged from above and below, the bottom soon rubbing over her crotch, whilst the top reached into her bosom, this causing Haruna to moan briefly as she shuffled in resistance.

"I don't think I feel as bad about this now.." He would watch this process continue as he had grinned widely, a slight bit of drool escaping from the side of his mouth.

Though, before he could take his exploit any further, the door would fly open, revealing that Rukia had been the one standing behind it, her arms crossed. She would scan over the scene, narrowing her eyes. "Sasuga, you deviant! What is it you're doing?!"

The male in question would then turn his head toward Rukia, grinning slightly. "Ah.. Well if it isn't the transfer student, Rukia Kuchiki.. Ah.. Well. I figured I'd be found eventually.. But, I wouldn't have minded if you took your sweet time.." He would then click the button again, the wires soon tightening over Haruna's body.

"Sasuga! Stop this at once!" Rukia would rush toward Sasuga, who had only grinned widely, before he would let out a loud cry, his body changing in shape as his ears had expanded, taking shape after that of a bat's as his hair would soon fall off, revealing a shell-like structure on the top of his head as his eyes had become rather circular, the two of them spinning around as he would grin, opening his mouth to reveal his extended tongue that would linger out of his mouth, his teeth becoming sharp as ice-sickles as he had stomped his foot, his elongated toes piercing through the shoe.

"Now, now.. Don't be careless.. You wouldn't want to get her injured would ya..? Fsshuu.." Rukia would stop as it would raise his fingers, that all all lacked nails, around his tongue. "After all.. You Earthlings do have a natural value for one another, right..?"

Rukia would draw a brow, examining the figure before her in their new form. "So you are an extraterrestrial.." She would voice her observations.

"You're perceptive.. I borrowed Sasuga's form through something you would call.. _Mimicry_.." He would chuckle a bit, but then sigh. "Although. I must say that it's a lot of work to maintain a human form for so long.." He would then pop his shoulder and neck, raising his hand toward her, placing it on his chest. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Ghi Bree. Rukia Kuchiki. Might I ask you relay a request to the one you call Tatsuya Yuki?"

Rukia would then throw her head back slightly, but would then regain her posture and respond, "What is this request?"

"I request that he forfits his courting with Lala." Ghi Bree would clutch his fist. "It is _I _who shall be wed with Lala, and someone of such a deprived planet could never be fit to do so. Fsshuu.." He would laugh, looking upward and grinning sadistically. "And if he refuses the terms.. Just know I shall refuse to return the woman. Though.. Having both would be rather relishing~ Fsshuu.."

* * *

"Ah mou.." The wind had been powerful at the rooftop where Lala stood, as her tail had waved slightly. "Where did Rukia go..? She suddenly ran off.. I was hoping to try and see if Rito got home yet, but I'm worried about her.."

_"Lala-sama. What is your fascination with that Rito character..? I just don't understand him. He hasn't seemed to have fallen for you in the slightest.." _Peke had spoken up to Lala, who would blink an orange color, which Lala had looked to Peke.

"Come on, Peke. We just met not too long ago. I think we just need to get to know each other better." Lala would smile, pulling out her D-Phone. "And once we do that, I bet we'll find that we're a good match for one another~"

_"I suppose that is fair, your highness.."_

"Anyway. I've gotta find Rukia." She would then dial up a code, before pressing the top center button as a pink light would emit from the phone, pixels colliding with one another and forming the shape of a dog, as the color would fade, revealing a white machine reminiscent of the figure formed, it, like all of Lala's other inventions, carrying black aesthetics that would shape into Deviluke symbols. "Sniff Sniff Tracer-Kun! Perfect!" She would then pull out a pair of panties that Rukia had bought while out on a weekend trip to the shop. "I need you to look for the person with this scent!"

Peke had gained a tick mark as she would soon yell at her creator, _"Lala-sama! Do not carry such indecent things!"_

_"Roger that, your highness!" _Tracer-kun would then sniff the pair, turning swiftly and dashing off toward the distance, Lala jumping forward and following after.

* * *

"I think I'll devour you _first_!" Run would close her eyes as she felt as though the end had been near, although, coming down with a crash had been Rito, who had a vengeance in his eyes as he had slashed through both the tentacle and the creature's hand with a single slash, standing up with a silent glare as he carried Run in his arms.

The Hollow would then screech a bit as it looked to see that its hand had flung aside, the girl in front of the Hollow narrowing her eyes to it as he looked toward Rito. "Soul Reaper...!"

He would look to the Hollow as he had set Run down, who had looked to Rito with a face full of shock, matched by Mikan's own. While Rito's only focus had been on the girl, "The hell is this..? You're.." He would look toward her, narrowing his eyes. "You're the girl who was at the river.. _Four_ years ago! The hell are you doing here, and why are you with a Hollow?!" He would throw his hand outward, the girl raising a brow.

"Six years ago..? That's a long time for me to remember. But. It _does _seem that you know me.." She would look to Rito, eyes narrowed.

"Yeah! Tell me who you are! Is the Hollow controlling you?! Are you it's slave?!" Rito had cried out, never recalling a time when a Hollow and Soul were in coherence. "Start talking! Now!"

The girl would sigh, shaking her head as she listened to the teen's questioning, before she would then look toward him with a condescending expression. "Neither.. Sonny."

A quiet wind would blow before Rito had slowly widened his eyes. "What.. The..?!"

* * *

Rukia would be glaring down the alien that stood before her, who had raised his hand, rubbing his finger against Haruna's cheek. "Now.. What will you do, Rukia Kuchiki..? I lack the patience to indulge myself in the anticipation.. Fsshuu.."

'_So.. He's one of the candidates Rito had mentioned earlier.._' Rukia had narrowed her eyes. '_Which means.. His desire is for Rito to withdraw.._'

_Rito had then stopped, bringing his hand down from the wall and turning toward his open doorway. "..I know you're there, Rukia.." _

_Rukia had then looked down a bit, revealing herself as she would emerge from the doorway, looking up toward Rito with a worried expression._

_"Listen.. I'll need you to keep an eye on Lala during school today.. Make sure nobody tries to steal her or anything like that.."_

_"And why would I do such a thing?"_

_Rito sighed, only raising a hand. "Listen. Lala's dad specifically stated that if we lose her before our _completely arranged _marriage, then he'll eliminate the planet." He would emphasize this by making a fist. "And I doubt you'd want that, considering it would ruin that whole balance thing you Soul Reapers try to maintain.."_

_Rukia would widen her eyes._ 'The strength to wipe away planets.. I've only known Captains capable of that.._'_

'_What should my next course of action be..? This is an alien, not a Hollow, so I am unaware of its capabilities.. And he has Haruna as a_ _hostage.._' Before Rukia could finish brainstorming, she looked up to see that Ghi Bree had clicked the key, causing the wires to pull away at Haruna's clothes, leaving her with both her shirt and bra puled into halves. "Tch..!"

"If you keep me waiting.. It'll only get more extreme.." Ghi Bree would chuckle, "And I doubt you want that.. Fsshuu.."

Rukia had narrowed her eyes, tapping her chin whilst deciding her response carefully.

"You'll do it won't you?" He would twitch what would be his brow, looking toward Rukia expectant of an answer.

There wasn't a response.

"WHAT IS YOUR ANSWER, KUCHIKI?!" He would then shout, stomping his foot as he had nearly pressed the button again, but Rukia had stopped him with a cold glare, opening her palm wide as she took a breath.

"You want to marry Lala so bad that you would kidnap an innocent girl.. And force her through such an experience.." Rukia had narrowed her eyes.

"Huh..?" Ghi Bree would tilt his head slightly.

"Do you think Lala would ever agree to marry such a man..?"

"What..?" Ghi Bree had begun to chuckle. "It would seem that you are in a misunderstanding of the situation.." He would then grin widely. "I _will _marry Lala.. That is something no one but _I _can choose.." He would place a hand over his face while laughing. "I mean, _come on_! Lala _might _have the personality of a child, yes. But her _body_, now that is something to work with, and if I have her in my grasp, I can rule this entire frickin' Galaxy!" Listening to him speak only made Rukia grit her teeth, her bangs overshadowing her eyes. "Plus.. She can be trained to develop a personality I like anyway-"

"I'm beginning to understand.. That you only view Haruna and Lala as simple tools for your reign.."

"Woah, now.." He would dust his chest off, gritting his teeth as he hadn't expected something like that. "You say that as though I'm the bad guy here.."

"No! You're the WORST!" He wouldn't have time to look up before she was hit by Rukia's drop kick which would send him into the wall. Ghi Bree would cough a bit as he had to pat himself down to ensure he was still in one piece.

'_W-what the hell is this woman.. She couldn't be an Earthling-type human.. Could she..?_' Rukia would be popping her knuckles, walking toward him in preparation for another attack, before the door would spring open, Lala flying through it as she had jumped behind Rukia, smothering her in a hug.

"Rukia! I finally found you~!" She would tighten her grip around Rukia, who would flail as she had been sinking in Lala's breasts. "What were you hiding out here for?" Lala would blink, oblivious to her friend's endeavor.

'_It's her-!_' Ghi Bree would then stand up, widening his eyes upon the realization that who he was looking for had emerged.

Lala would then blink, looking over to the xenomorph standing up, tilting her head a bit, as Rukia had sighed a breath of relief from escaping from her rack. "Wait, huh? It's Ghi Bree. Why are you here..?" She would then look over, seeing Haruna's condition and gasping, covering over her mouth. "HARUNA! Ghi Bree, what are you doing to her?!"

'_You just noticed..?_' Rukia would sweatdrop.

"Lala. I think you need to understand something. You are _mine_." Ghi Bree would reply.

"Nyaaaah!" She would pull down the bottom of her left eyelid and stick out her tongue toward Ghi Bree, a serious expression on her face otherwise. "No! I've already told you that I don't like you!" She would then point toward him. "Now! Let Haruna go! She's a really close friend of mine!" Ghi Bree would click his teeth in annoyance of this, as he would sigh, clutching his fists, and taking a deep breath.

"Lala.." He would then roar out loudly as his muscles expanded outward to the point that the clothes he was wearing had torn immediately. "SHUT UP, YOU WRETCH! HOW DARE YOU REJECT ME?! I SHALL MAKE YOU ALL EXPERIENCE TRUE HELL THROUGH THE MIGHT OF GHI BREE-SAMA'S TRUEST FORM!"

* * *

**A fighting boy.**

* * *

"Neither.." The girl in front of the Hollow they had been facing would grin. ".. Sonny."

As he watched what was unfolding before him, Rito could only widen his eyes in shock. "What.. The..?!" He would watch in horror as the girl's skin was beginning to peel, revealing that there was a large hole in her skull. "What.. Are you..?!"

"That's good to know.. You _saw _me.. And _lived_.." She smirked, before her eyes would roll to the back of his head. "You're.. Lucky!" Sprouting form the hole in her skull would be a tentacle that would fly toward the Hollow, it attaching to the top of it's mask as it would pull the skeleton out from the girl's body, revealing it lacked arms and legs, while the skin of the girl had lost it's color, becoming red and white. Despite being nothing but the end of the tentacle, it would still move what would be it's lips to speak. "But your luck's run out, Sonny.. Now that you've seen me twice.. You must die."

Rito would drop a cold bead of sweat down the side of his face. "What the hell.. Is the girl.. Part of you..?" He would raise a brow.

"Hmm.. If you're still alive.. That must mean I ended up killing someone else in your place.." Upon hearing this, Rito would look down, realizing what had happened as he had slightly loosened his grip on the hilt of his Zanpakuto. "That's too bad.. What a waste.." Rito would then clutch the hilt tightly, glaring toward the ground.

'_That means.._'

"My.. _Three _good meals came to me.. I must be having a lucky day.." The Hollow would grin widely, licking his lips.

'_The girl I saw at the river.. Was just a part of this Hollow.. A decoy.. And I fell for_ _it.._' He would grit his teeth, clutching his free hand into a fist.

"Oh ho ho.. They all look rather delicious.." It would grin widely. "What to do.." He would tap his chin lightly. "Will it all.." Rito had widened his eyes. "..fit in my belly..?"

Rito would then grit his teeth, lifting his sword upward as he would let out a loud roar, causing both Mikan and Run to widen their eyes as he charged forward, before jumping upward, preparing to slash down toward the Hollow.

"Rito/Rito-kun?!"

"RAAAAAGGGGGHHHH!" Rito had clench his teeth tightly as he threw his arms down, the sword in his hand being thrown down toward the Hollow. Although, he would then widen his eyes as he saw the sword had hit.. The ground. He would then swing his head toward the sky, where the Hollow would be, as he would kick off the ground and fly up toward it.

The Hollow would narrow his eyes slightly. "Heh heh.." He would then raise the stub that had been his arm forward, the fur over his arm flowing in strands over his arm as it would rotate over the stub, before out had come a new arm in full. "You're just so young.. Sonny!" Rito would narrow his eyes, before he would widen his eyes as another arm would fly from within his fur, which would force Rito to throw his sword upward and hold it up as the emerging arm would grind against the blade.

The residual force had sent Rito back, causing him to flip in mid-air as he had flipped in mid-air, landing on the hill as he looked up quickly, widening his eyes as the Hollow would be falling toward him, its fur spreading out from its body in a net-like formation as it would soon cover over his body.

"Rito-!" Mikan would attempt to stand up, but had stopped, looking down to the ground as she had clutched her fists, feeling worthless in this situation as Run had looked around, turning around to see a roll of sheet metal, blinking as she tilted her head. '_How did this get here..?_'

_Saibai and Rai had been sitting on the hill, Saibai pulling a sheet of metal from his bag. "Alright! To commemorate Satsuga's memory, I shall make a special chapter made entirely from metal sheets!" He would quickly get to work on drawing upon it, the speed of his strokes seeming to be undefeated, even by the durability of the metal on hand._

_"Ya know, Sai.. If you try to sell that as a manga, someone could probably get a _lot _worse than a paper cut.." Rai would sweatdrop, tilting his head slightly. Saibai would then turn toward him, blinking._

_"Huh.. Guess you're right." He would then toss it over the hill, causing Rai to drop his jaw._

_"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!"_

_"I'm getting rid of it. It's no longer useful to us, is it?" Saibai tilted his head and blinked, unaware of what Rai had been worried about._

_"THAT'S LITTERING, SAI!" Rai had sweatdropped._

_"Ah, whatever, I'm sure it's fine." Saibai waved his hand, Rai following behind him with his sweatdrop still apparent._

"It doesn't matter.. It'll help me save Rito-kun.." She dashed over to it, grabbing onto the sheet and with a twirl, she would dash toward the creature, gripping the paper tightly as it would soon morph into the shape of a giant hammer, which Run would use to propel herself toward the Hollow, slamming into it's side, causing the fur strands wrapped around Rito's body to be pulled back as he had slashed what little had still been binding him as he had looked to Run, who had been falling toward the ground, hitting it with a slight thud as he had sheathed his sword, dashing over to Mikan and picking her up as well, running from the scene.

The Hollow would coil slightly, landing on the ground with a slight slide as he had looked up slightly, watching the two of them run off into the distance.

'_Damn it.. I can't fight him with them here like this.._' Rito had grit his teeth as he dashed into the forest nearby the graveyard. The Hollow that had been left there only grinning.

* * *

Ghi Bree had now been in a form of complete muscle, as his skin had been coiling into the form of spikes, whilst the slight remnants of the clothes he previously wore before the transformation only complementing the form by seeming to tighten over it.

"So this is.. Your true form, hm..?" Rukia had narrowed her eyes slightly. '_It would seem his strength has been augmented quite a bit.._' While Rukia had been brainstorming this turn of events, Lala had tilted her head a bit.

"Lala.." The muscular behemoth had stepped forward. "This shall the be the final time I ask you in such a gentlemanly way.. Marry me." He would then lower his hand, it pulsing a bit as his nails would extend slightly. "Unless.. You would like to experience the same Hell that everyone else in this feeble world is going to.."

_"Heh- Did you just threaten Lala-sama?!" _Peke would exclaim as Lala only glared.

"Hehe.. Now that I've got your attention.." He would lower his other hand, threatening to wrap it tightly around Haruna's body. "Allow me to offer you a warning now.. If I even see you _attempt _to call for one of your inventions.. I'll just have to make sure this woman here pays the price."

Lala would then widen her eyes, pointing forward. "HEY! STOP THAT RIGHT NOW! HARUNA'S GOT NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS!"

Rukia would then raise her hand in front of her, Lala blinking as she looked to her as Rukia would only narrow her eyes toward Ghi Bree. "It is no use trying to reason with scum like him." She would step forward, causing Ghi Bree to step back slightly. "I'll be sending him flying soon enough, I guarantee it."

"W-Woah, you're really gonna fight me?!" He had stepped back a bit, seeming to be breaking in composure due to the firm look in Rukia's eyes. Nevertheless, he regained his composure and had begun to flex his large muscles. "Heh. I should warn ya. I'm now _100 _times the strength of any Earthling!"

She would only respond by raising her hand forward, beginning to mutter a chant. "Thy who wears the mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, all in bearing the name of Man.."

"You.. Sure you wanna fight..?" Ghi Bree would sweatdrop. '_Why.. Why isn't she scared..?_'

".. Through the inferno, pandemonium, and the sea barrier surges, march on to the south.." Rukia would slowly close her eyes.

Ghi Bree would back away slightly, before clutching his fists, raising his arms into the air. "T-Then..!" He would then throw his arms downward, his muscles pulsating more as his veins would spike, him laughing loudly as he had looked up toward her with a wide grin. "Ha ha ha! How about _this_?! This is my _Super _Ghi Bree Muscular Form!" He would widen his stance. "No way you'd try to fight me now!"

Lala had blinked, looking to Rukia, who would narrow her eyes. "Lala."

"Hm?"

"I'll create the necessary opening. Once I do, grab Haruna and escape from here." Rukia would focus her eyesight on Ghi Bree.

"Eh..? S-Seriously-"

"Hado #31: **Shakkaho**!" Rukia would cry out as a small orb of red light would form in her hand, before it would grow larger, swelling into the form of a crimson fireball as it would soon fly forward from Rukia's palm, flying toward Ghi Bree with high speed as it had struck him in the chest hard, blowing a hole through his already torn shirt easily as he had skid back a bit from the miniature explosion created upon impact.

As Ghi Bree had struck the ground, many items in the room had fallen from the shelves, all collapsing on top of him as he would begin to lose his form, dumbing down to a much simpler, unmuscular form, as the tears of what was left of the pants he wore prior to his transformation had fit as long shorts on this new form, his torso being an oval shape, and his head being much more circular. Rukia had blinked as she watched this occur, walking over to him with a dumbfounded expression.

"What.. Am I looking at?"

"Could this be the real form of Ghi Bree?" Lala had skipped over, tilting his head slightly. _"My.. Isn't he a Balkean..?" _Lala looked up to her hairpin, _"Hmm.. If my data is correct, Balkeans have an excellent mimicking ability, however, their physical strength is close to that of a fly here on Earth." _Lala had nodded. "Ah, I see."

"So what you're saying is.. That was all just a bluff.." Rukia had sweatdropped. '_I had wasted my time using Shakkaho.._'

_"What should we do with him, Lala-sama?__" _To this, Lala had only tapped her chin, concocting a plan for her next course of action, which would include her pulling out her D-Dial from within her blazer, pulling it out and dialing a code into it, which would in turn cause a small machine to appear in her hand that's shape and size resembled that of a toilet that carried a duck motif. "Here we go! _Slosh Slosh Warp-kun_!" Lala had grinned as it had come to open, revealing the circular gathering of water within. "I'll just use this to flush him and deport him from Earth!"

Rukia had blinked as she looked to the invention, sweatdropping. '_Why is it a toilet..?_'

Lala had picked Ghi Bree up from the ground by the back of his shirt, frowning toward him. "Don't you ever come back to Earth again, Ghi Bree!" She would then smile, giggling a bit as she had dropped him into the toilet, the machine in response immediately flushing him down.

Rukia had tapped her chin. '_I never imagined those who wished to marry the daughter of the ruler of this Galaxy would be so.. Cruel. I figured they'd see a royal heir as something far more important than that.._'

She had recalled how Ghi Bree declared he would marry Lala, without giving her any choices.

"What are you zoning out for, Rukia?! We should help out Haruna and get her free!"

"Oh, you're right! I apologize!"

* * *

Rito had sighed a breath of relief as he had set Mikan and Run down near a few trees. Looking up and noticing that the rain was beginning to pick up.. It was becoming more and more like that day.. He would take in a breath as he had turned, hearing fast paced footsteps, grabbing toward the hilt of the sword on his back in case of an enemy.

However, what had truly been on its way was unsurprising. It had been a much faster Kon, now that he was in Rito's discarded body, dashing over at high speeds. In his hand had been a ringing phone, that Kon deemed important due to the fact that it was Rukia calling. He would then come to a stop as he slid over to the three with a quick halt, Mikan and Run looking up to the pair, the green haired girl tilting her head slightly.

"This.. Is weird.." She would then immediately begin blushing, placing her hands on either side of her face. "..but I'm fine with it~"

"Rito.. Here.. It's Rukia." Kon would hand the phone to Rito, who would sigh, answering the phone and bringing it to his ear.

"Yeah? What is it Rukia?" Rito had turned away, wanting to prioritize his focus on whatever Rukia had to say.

_"I received an order not too recently, it's nearby your location."_

"Yeah. I know."

_"You realize what that Hollow is, right?"_

"Not at all." He would then stomp his foot. "I just know what that bastard took from us."

_"Listen. Before you do anything rash. It's code name is Grand Fisher. There is a bait decoy that sprouts from its head that can turn into a person, using it to lure out those capable of seeing it because it targets those with exceptionally high Spiritual Pressure to absorb their power. He's managed to outwit or outfight all of the Soul Reapers sent after him for the past 54 years."_

"So what you're saying is.. A giant hamster has managed to beat you guys for half a decade?"

_"..unfortunately yes. He is a well-known lowlife. From the records located in the Soul Society's database.. He's a real piece of work. Here. I'll send you a picture of the order."_

Rito would then widen his eyes at the picture Rukia had texted him, gripping his phone tighter. "..tch.."

_"I figured you'd feel upset after seeing it. I'm sorry I couldn't make it before, me and Lala have just had to deal with an oddball that tried to kidnap Haruna."_

"Sairenji? Is she alright?" Rito had tried to use this as an excuse for him to keep his calm.

_"Yes. She's luckily unharmed, however its not the same for her clothes."_

_"Ooh! Ooh! Is that Rito on the phone?! Hey, Rito! You wouldn't believe it! Despite how she looks, Haruna's got-"_

"Lala, don't tell me whatever you're about to-!" Rito had blushed profusely, looking down and shaking his head.

_"Anyway. I'll be there at your location very soon."_

"Rukia, no." Rito had responded, which didn't sound over the light gasp Rukia had released.

_"Are you insane?! He's far too strong for you! Did you not hear when I said that he's beaten us for over 50 years-"_

"Just stay out of this one, alright?!" Rito would stomp his foot. "That _monster _is mine. I'm going to pay him back for the 4 year scar he's left on my family. You just take care of Haruna and Lala.. Alright?"

_"..Rito.." This time it had been Lala to respond._

"Sorry, but.. This one is.. Personal." Rito had hung up. The rain now falling hard as he had returned the phone to Kon, who had blinked. Run and Mikan had both expressed solemn through their faces as they watched Rito speak on the phone. Neither of them knew exactly how to respond to this, but Mikan would try anyway.

"Rito, you don't really plan to go back out there, do you?!" She would stand up slowly. "You heard what she said, it's too dangerous!"

Rito hadn't answered, simply gripping onto the handle of his sword, drawing it from the sheath.

"Rito?!" Mikan had called again, however, her brother would not respond. "Please don't!" She would try to walk over to him, but had stopped as she saw him turn, a smile on his face. However, this had only caused tears to stream down her eyes. She knew the smile wasn't real. He hadn't made a genuine smile since their grandfather's death. But, she knew that there was nothing she could do to change his mind, only watching with fear in her eyes as he would then look to Kon.

"Take care of these two for me, ok?"

"Yeah.." Kon had nodded, to which Rito had responded in kind, turning away and dashing off toward the graveyard.

Run, however badly she wanted to call out for him in response to what had all occurred, had no response, as she still had no clear insight on what was happening. Although, she only knew that she desired one thing.

"Rito-kun.. Please don't die.."

* * *

"Damn it!" Rukia had slammed her fist against the locker, gritting her teeth as steam had shot out from her ears. "That damn Rito always doing things however he pleases..!"

"Peke, can you mend Haruna's clothes?" Lala had been kneeling down next to the unconscious Haruna, who still had her shirt and bra torn down the center. _"Ah yes, just leave it to me! If I apply my regular functions, it would be a simple matter to mend this type of fabric." _This had brought a smile to Lala's face. "That's great, Peke!"

Rukia would take notice of Lala's relief, pushing herself off the locker and standing up straight. "Lala." This would successfully get the space princess's attention, "I'm going to go find Rito before he gets himself killed. Once her attire is repaired, please take Haruna to the nurse's office."

"Huh- But what about what Rito said?"

"Who cares about what Rito said if it's going to end up killing him..?!" She would ball her hands into fists, clenching them tightly as she looked down, a clear expression of anger on her face.

Lala had would stop, looking down a bit, then looking up toward her. "Ok. But.. Why don't you want to believe in Rito?"

"Huh?" Rukia would turn back toward Lala. "What are you talking about..?"

"Well, Rito said he would handle it. So I'm gonna believe in him." Lala would place her hands on her knees, tapping them lightly. Rukia would then lower her shoulders.

_Rukia had been standing on a tree branch, in her Soul Reaper uniform, eyes wide as she watched a battle betwen a Hollow and fellow Shinigami._

_The male had his hair arranged in a mass of black spikes that would spray over his head. Just below the hung bangs would be a pair of aqua green eyes, which had a heavy glare toward the Hollow he had been fighting, breathing heavily. In his hand had been a katana, which had a rectangular guard with smooth, rounded edges, the hilt being a dark blue. _

_The noticeable details of his uniform was that his sleeve had a maroon streak over it, which had been a highlight of the sash that sat atop it, which had on the side of it a badge that had been black with maroon highlights that would border the edges, in the center, there had been a snowdrop symbol that would split into what would look to be four ends, which would each be a different shade of maroon. Whilst on the back was "13" in kanji colored maroon. _

_The Hollow before him had stood before him, all six of it's grayish green arm-like limbs on the ground, a mass of tentacles sprouting from its back much like the leaves of a plant. Over its face had been a large mask that had covered over the entirety of it's head, being mostly pink down, horns at the sides of the jaw, and over his eyes had been an orange flame design that spread in either direction. _

_Rukia would then go to step forward, grasping the hilt of her sword. However, as he prepared to draw it, her arm had been grabbed tightly. She would look to the person who's hand it had belonged to, widening her eyes as she saw._

_The man who had stopped her was a rather frail-seeming man who had long white hair that would flow over his back, nearly reaching his waist. Over his face, he would wear it parted on the left side, seeming to threaten to fall over his right eye. His attire had been similar to Byakuya's, however, replacing the scarf had been a white obi around his waist, which his own Zanpakuto was fitted into neatly. It could be seen just barely underneath his hair that on the back of the white haori he wore, it carried the same symbol as the one on the raven haired man's sash. _

_"Rukia. You shouldn't interfere. This is a fight that Kaien must face on his own."_

_"But.. He could die-"_

_"What about his honor, Rukia?"_

_Rukia would widen her eyes, opening her mouth to retort, but the man had continued._

_"Listen. You going to help him now may save his life.. However.. His heart will have taken a blow that could never recover." He would turn his head, looking toward what had been occurring before her. "Listen.. And remember this well. There are two kinds of battles." He would take a breath, crossing his arms. "There are those to preserve life.. And those to preserve honor."_

Rukia had looked down, narrowing her eyes. '_So.. You're fighting to preserve your honor this time.. Aren't you.._'

Lala had looked up to her as she dashed off, leaving the shack and charging into the rain. "Wait, Rukia!"

'_..Rito..?_'

* * *

Rito had parried an attack from one Grand Fisher's claws, jumping back a bit to make distance, before growling and charging forward again with a loud cry. He would then jump into the air and slash downward toward the Hollow, which would only firm its stance, a spike fly out from it's thumb, cutting through Rito's own as he had fallen back, somersaulting in mid-air as he stabbed into the ground to catch himself.

The boy would then grunt as he coughed a bit, looking up toward the Hollow, who would only chuckle. Then, as a new spike would spring out from his finger, Rito would recoil slightly, looking downward to release that it had managed to pierce his chest, falling to a knee as he would watch with wide eyes as blood would drop from the hole in his chest. The tentacle would soon retract from Rito's chest, who would only grit his teeth in response.

"_So reckless.._" It would only chuckle, looking down toward Rito, who would glare back. "_You're just so reckless.. Taking me on in a fit of rage.._" Rito would breathe heavily. "_You've played right into my talons.. And will die for it without even putting a scratch on me.._" Rito would growl, stomping on the ground as he quickly rose.

"NO!" He would then throw his arms upward, slashing toward Grand Fisher, who would throw his head back, dodging the swipe. "You're wrong!" He would grit his teeth as the blade hit the ground, the rain pouring over them, lowering his head as his bangs overshadowed his eyes, breathing heavily. "I don't care.. If you tear off my arms.. Or blow off my legs.. I.. _Will_.. Kill you!" He would glare toward him, narrowing his eyes as he would tighten his grip on the hilt of his sword.

"_..._" The Hollow would simply sigh, raising it's hand as it's lure would spread once more, lowering down and returning to the form of the girl. "_You need to wake up, Sonny.. And realize you're young. Impetuous.. This anger of yours.. Comes far too easily.._" He would then place his hand over the head of the girl, tightening his grip as cracking could be heard after it. "_It blinds you. And.._"

He would open his hand, Rito widening his eyes. He would then stand slowly. "It's ok, Tatsu.." It had been revealed that the lure had become his grandfather, which would cause Rito to widen his eyes, Grand Fisher easily taking notice.

"_Heh. You must be surprised._" Grand Fisher would lower his hand, _Satsuma _walking forward a step. "_I'll be frank.. I don't remember a thing from four years ago, pal.._" He would then smirk. "_But it seems recreating your Grandfather's form was a simple task._" He would look to his lure, then to Rito. "_From the look on your face.. It seems you're upset.._"

The Hollow would laugh loudly as Rito had grit his teeth, widening his eyes. He would then step forward slightly, growling. "You..!"

"Did you not notice..?" Grand Fisher would wave his hand, the index finger still trickled with Rito's blood. "_So far.. I've only attacked you using_ this _hand._" It would then begin to open, the skin peeling to either side to reveal a claw beneath. "_I've used _these _claws in order to peek inside of that memory of yours.. And find exactly what you wouldn't dare bring harm to.._" Grand Fisher would then fidget it's fingers, looking toward Rito with a wide grin. "_Then used this hand.. To form that very thing!_"

* * *

_**Sharp-Mind equipped with a Dull Sword.**_

* * *

Rito would then look toward the lure, then back to the Hollow, narrowing his eyes. "You.. Bastard..!"

Grand Fisher had chuckled, "_Even the most cold-blooded Soul Reaper has a weakness. That's just the facts._" He would laugh. "_That's why no Soul Reaper could defeat me!_" He would then point toward Rito. "_And you weakness, _boy_.. Is your dead grandpop!_"

"That is true.." The lure would look up, smiling toward Rito. "Right, Tatsu..?"

Rito would then recoil, widening his eyes.

In his starship, Zastin had been sitting back in his large tub that would spread over the room, much akin to that of a pool, smiling brightly as she stared toward the ceiling. He would then lower his gaze, gazing over the Earth as a whole as he would smile. "You know.. Taking a bath with this sight.. Is rather soothing."

He would then stop, rubbing his neck with a towel as he looked down toward the water, raising a brow as he saw it begin to bubble. Then, after a splat of water passed him, he would widen his eyes, letting out a loud cry.

"UWAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH! SOMETHING WEIRD JUST CAME OUT OF THE TUB-!"

The two subordinates of Zastin would turn, raising a brow as they heard the cries.

"Was that.. Commander Zastin, just now?"

"I.. Think so."

* * *

Haruna would moan a bit, standing up from the ground. She would rub her head, feeling a heavy pressure at the side of her head, which she knew well was a migraine. She would then look around, examining that she was inside of the shack that the sports teams use for storage. As she would hear a few bats strike the ground, she would quickly turn, seeing Lala, who had a hand over her mouth as she sweatdrop at them falling.

"Lala-san?" Haruna tilted her head. The pinkette would then look toward Haruna with wide eyes, her face curling into a grin as she would dash over, quickly pulling the girl into a hug, which she had widened her eyes in response to.

"Oh, Haruna! You're awake!"

"U- What happened, Lala-san..?" Haruna looked to her, to which Lala would pull away slightly, smiling.

"You were found passed out near the Tennis Court. You've been out for a while, ya know." She would smile, Haruna blinking in response.

"So then.." Haruna would stop, looking down, she would then look up toward her with a firm look in her eyes. "Have you heard from Yuki-kun?"

"Huh- Rito? Why do you ask?" The devilukean would tilt her head in response.

"I-" She would open her mouth to speak, then simply lower her head. "It's nothing." Haruna remembered what Tatsuki had told her. She would then bite her lip. '_Yuki-kun.. I've got a terrible feeling.._'

* * *

Rukia would be rushing forward, the rain falling around her coning over her field of vision, only making it harder for her to see what was beyond.

'_Is this.. The right thing to do..?_' She would continue running. '_I'm going to help Rito, but.. What can I do in this situation..?_' She would clutch her fists tightly. '_Guilt.. And vengeance.. They're what's driving him right now.._' She remembered Rito's words on the phone. '_I've.. Never heard him respond like that before.._' She would then stop at a hill, taking a breath. '_This time.. Rito is fighting for himself.. As a Soul Reaper.._'

She would then look outward, seeing the Grand Fisher staring down a frozen Rito, who had his eyes widened. She had stepped forward, but had grabbed his arm, stopping herself. '_Stay out of it.. __If I help Rito now.. He won't accept it.. I have to let him fight alone this time.._' She would tighten her grip on her arm, looking down, her bangs overshadowing her eyes.

"Stay out of it." She would mutter. "Stay out of it. Stay out of it. Stay out of it. Stay.. Out of it." She would tighten her grip further, gritting her teeth and staring toward the ground. "Tatsuya.. You better not die.."

Rito would be standing completely still, eyes wide was he looked to _Satsuma _and Grand Fisher. He would breathe heavily, each breath being matched with a few hundred raindrops. Grand Fisher would then grin.

"_What's wrong, Sonny..? Has the sight of your grandpop got you paralyzed or something..?_"

Rito had clutched his fist, his grip on the hilt of his sword tightening. "You.. Sick.. Bastard!" He would then throw his arm upward, before throwing it down toward Grand Fisher, pointing his sword toward him.

"_Hm..?_"

"Let's just get this over with!" He would narrow his eyes. "I refuse to watch you defile my grandfather's memory any further!"

He would then stop, as _Satsuma _had flown forward, now before him as he had looked toward Rito with an expression of concern. "No, Tatsu.. Lower your sword.." Rito would recoil, _Satsuma _looking to him with a smile. "You could cut yourself, you know.."

From behind _Satsuma_, Grand Fisher would be approaching, a wide grin on his face as the fur on his shoulder had begun to contort.

* * *

_Satsuma_'s head had laid over Rito's shoulder, whose eyes were widened, coughing blood as he had looked down. Piercing through _Satsuma_'s robe was a spike, that had pierced through his body as well. He would drop his hand, his grip on the hilt of the sword.

Grand Fisher would carry a massive grin, "_Didn't I tell you, Sonny..? Your anger dulls your blade.._" He would then laugh. "_It seems like you're gonna die here, Sonny! But before you do.. I'll let you know, you're the youngest.. most reckless.._" Rito would cough more blood, looking downward as his bangs overshadowed his eyes. "_..and _weakest _Soul Reaper I've ever faced!_" He would laugh loudly. "_Hee hee hee.. HEE HEE HEE..! HEE HEE HEEEEE!_"

He would then stop, his eyes widening as he felt something pierce his side as he looked toward the source of the pain, seeing that Rito's sword had stabbed him in the shoulder. "_..huh..?_"

"Hehe.." Rito had tightened his grip on the blade stabbing through his chest. "Finally.. Got you..!" He would look toward him with a grin. "Just.. Wanted to know.. Does my blade feel dull..?" He would chuckle. "Your very existence.. Does piss me off.." He would then narrow his eyes. "But.. That doesn't make me any weaker.. In fact.. That makes my blade perfectly suitable for killing a shmuck like you!" He would thrust his arm further, stabbing deeper into the Hollow's shoulder.

"You're dead, Grand Fisher! But before you do.. I'll let you know.." He would begin to pull his arm to the side, Grand Fisher grunting. "Of all the ones I've faced.. You were the oldest.." He would continue pulling. "..the slimiest.." Rito would glare toward the Hollow. "..and the most _annoying _Hollow ever!"

He would then completely swing his arm, cleanly cleaving through its arm, a massive splatter of blood flooding out to the side.

* * *

Lala blinked as Haruna would be walking toward the school gates, carrying an umbrella over her shoulder.

"Haruna! Are you gonna walk out there in the rain all by yourself?"

"Oh. Yes. My home is not too far from here."

"Ooh! Then I could walk you there!"

Haruna would then turn away, looking outward as the rains would drop down, slipping off of the umbrella she carried. "No.. Thanks anyway, Lala-san." She would smile. "I have some things I need to think over."

"Hmm.." Lala would tap her chin, then look up to her with a smile. "Later then, Haruna!" She would wave.

"Bye.. See you tomorrow." Haruna would begin walking home. She quietly walked on the path to her home, looking down a bit.

'_I wonder what you're doing right now, Yuki-kun.._' She would raise a hand, brushing aside a bit of her hair as she had continued walking. '_Did it hurt.. When you lost your grandfather.. Four years ago..? Was that why.. You stopped smiling..?_' She would then stop, looking to the raindrops falling from the sky. '_And is that why.. I could hear the cries behind that fake smile..?_'

'_..this feeling I have.. I just don't get it.. Is it.. One-sided sympathy..? Or.. Something else..?_'

She would then look upward, gazing upon the darkening clouds. "That aside.. I think.. I understand you a little better now.. Yuki-kun.."

* * *

Blood had splattered across the ground, the rain only following in suit. Soon after, another spat would slap against the trees, corroding over the dark brown bark.

"GRRRRRRAAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHH!" The Grand Fisher would scream in immense pain as it looked down toward its arm, which had only been still attached it's body thanks to the large mass of fur on it's body. "MY ARRRRRRRRMMMMMMM! IT'S HANGING BY A THREEEEEEEAAAAAAAADDDDDD!" It would scream out loudly, the wound continuing to act as a pipe leak of blood.

Near Rito's feet, a few drips of blood would hit the ground, before a splatter would come alongside him stabbing the ground to remain standing as he hung his head downward, coughing a bit of blood as he would look down to his chest, seeing the strap to his hilt dropping down to the ground, striking it hard alongside the Hollow before him.

The two would breathe heavily, knowing full well that neither could fight anymore, they still glared each other as a presentation that their fighting spirits remained. Rito would then stop, looking to his left as he heard footsteps, seeing a worried Rukia next to the trees.

"Oh.. Hey Rukia.." He would then cough a bit, tightening his grip on the hilt. "What took ya so long..?" He would chuckle, looking to her with a smirk. "Ya missed the.. Best part.."

Rukia would then recoil slightly, before only chuckling as the rain had lightened slightly. "Tatsuya Yuki.. You're such a fool.." She would shake her head. "You're the one.. Who told me to stay out.. Remember?"

Rito would then blink, before sighing. "Ya know.. I wasn't thinking you'd actually listen to that.."

Rukia would then shift her attention toward the Grand Fisher, widening her eyes as she saw it grin widely, a mass of spikes firing out from the holes in its mask, heading straight for Rito.

"TATSUYA! BEHIND YOU!"

Rito would then swing his head around, only in time to take a slash to the cheek that would throw his head to the side as he had fallen to his knees, widening his eyes as the next splatter of blood had come from his face.

The antenna that would sprout from Grand Fisher's head, it beginning to gain suction as it would soon swallow the entirety of the Hollow's body, it recoiling to the fake Satsuma's head, that would mold into the form of the little girl from Rito's past.

"Hehehe.." The girl would smirk. "Hey, sonny.. You asked if my decoy was part of me..? If it was an appendage..?" She would then look toward Rito, her grin widening. "Allow me to answer that question! NO! I'VE GOT _TWO _BODIES!" The girl's chest had opened, seeming to represent his Hollow hole. "If _one _gets hurt, I can simply slip it into the other! And now that I'm in _this _body.. You won't land a hit like that again!"

* * *

Kon had been with Mikan and Run, who had been sheltered beneath an umbrella, which had come from Run's backpack, which sat open in between them. The male had lowered his head, heavily drenched from the downfall surrounding them.

He would then turn, looking out toward the distance as raindrops would fall hard, he would then clutch his fist, narrowing his eyes.

"Hey.." Run would look toward her side. "You should come on inside of the umbrella, you'll catch a cold.." She would then lift the umbrella slightly to see him, widening her eyes as she saw that he had not been there. "..huh?" She would then look to either side, blinking.

"Where'd he go..?"

* * *

Lala would be walking around, looking to either side of her as above her head was an upside down Octopus machine, whose tentacles would spin much like a helicopter over what seemed to be a shield, which had been guarding Lala from the rain.

"Hmm.. Now which way did Rukia go..?" She would tap her chin as she had looked around her, seeing only the rain covered town around her as she would then look to her side, seeing a man in a white coat pass by, his attire much similar to that of those of the House of the White Cross, however lacking the gold attachments.

The male would then turn toward Lala, his mop-like dirty blonde hair covering over his face and only barely missing covering over his hazel eyes, which met with Lala's emerald green.

* * *

**Cigarette Blues on a rainy night..**

* * *

Rito would stomp his foot on the ground, gritting his teeth as he glared toward the little girl that housed Grand Fisher.

"You..!"

Rukia would then turn toward Rito, eyes wide that he still planned to continue despite his current condition. "Tatsuya, stop! This is too reckless, even for you!"

"Hehe.. That's right.. You should stop!" The girl would grin widely. "Beasts like you with acute vision are simply slaves to their eyes!" Her feet would soon become akin to that of Grand Fisher's. "You know and understand that it is _I _inside this body, but you won't attack simply because it has the appearance of a little girl!" She would grin, jumping off toward the distance. "Besides! Even if you manage to hit, you couldn't catch me in your condition!"

Rito would grit his teeth as he heard the Hollow laugh as it flew off. "GET BACK HERE!" He would begin to walk forward, to which Rukia would swing around, pushing against his chest to try and stop him.

"No, Tatsuya, stop!" She would grit her teeth as Rito had not been complying. "You can't fight anymore, Tatsuya! This battle is over!" She would clutch his shirt tightly, ignoring the amount of blood amassing in his hands as she pleaded.

"NO! NOT YET!" Rito would tighten his grip on the hilt of his sword. "Not until he's dead..! I can still fight, damn it..! I.."

"Tatsuya!" Rukia would widen her eyes as she saw him drop over her, quickly raising her arms in attempts to catch him.

"TATSUYA!"

Coming out from the trees would be Kon, who had looked to Rukia, who had Rito's head on her lap as she rubbed his head slowly.

"Uh.. Rukia..?" Kon would speak softly, to which Rukia would simply shake her head.

"It's alright.." She would smile, lowering her eyelids slightly. "A Soul Reaper's life force is equal to that of their Spiritual Energy.. Seeing as these wounds haven't killed him.. This fool's power is greater than I had thought.." She would rub Rito's face softly. "Thank you for not dying.. Tatsuya.."

* * *

Rai had been walking, hands in pockets as he had looked around, seeing that the only thing surrounding him being the mass of trees that surrounded the walkway, he would then stop, looking toward his right as he saw an umbrella fighting against the rain, and two girls underneath.

"..hm?" Rai would raise a brow, walking over toward what he saw.

* * *

Rain would strike the top of Satsuma's grave, each droplet bouncing off the other as a small river had formed over it. Standing before it had been Rito, who had clutched his fists tightly. Over his face had been several patches that would blend in with one another. His face had been grim as he had lowered his head.

"Sorry, Gramps.. I.. Couldn't avenge you.." He clutched his fist tightly.

"Yo." Rito would turn, seeing Saibai walking over, two umbrellas in hand, one over his head with a smile. "I was wondering where you were.." Rito would simply turn away, furrowing his brows.

"Here! Take this, buddy!" Saibai would press the umbrella against Rito's cheek, who had twitched his brow.

"There's no point.."

"Come on, just take it!" Saibai would grin widely, continuing to poke Rito's cheek.

"I'm already drenched.. I don't need it." Saibai would continue poking Rito's head, who would grumble more. "I SAID I DON'T NEED IT!" He would outburst, grabbing the umbrella from his hand and smack Saibai across the face. He would then open the umbrella, placing it on his shoulder as he took a breath.

"Man.. Time flies, ya know?" Saibai would look down toward the grave, smiling a bit. "It's been ten years since he died.."

"Wh- It's only been _four_."

Saibai would widen his eyes for a moment, then quickly turn toward Rito with a smirk. "I was pretty close!"

"YOU WERE _SIX _WHOLE YEARS OFF! MIKAN COULD BE AT THE END OF HER HIGHSCHOOL YEARS IN THAT TIME!" Rito had retorted, to which Saibai only looked to him with a bright and supportive smile.

"Oh, wow. You're really smart. I'm very impressed with that skill you have."

Rito had growled, turning back toward Saibai and roaring, "GAH! YOU SHOULDN'T BE! HELL, YOU SHOULD REMEMBER YOUR OWN FATHER-IN-LAW'S DEATH DAY, DAMN IT!" He would then turn back toward the grave, grumbling. "Gah.. Talking to you annoys me sometimes!"

"Haha.." Saibai would smile, looking to Satsuma's grave. "Well.. Seeing how well you're doing may put a smile on his face."

"Ah.. Yeah, but.." Rito would look to him, sucking in his cheek as he lowered his head, looking toward Saibai. '_Oh yeah.. I forgot he has no idea.._' He looked down, remembering back to when he saw Satsuma's corpse on the ground that rainy night. '_..Gramps.. Got his soul devoured.._'

"Huh? What's up, Tatsuya?" Saibai would look to Rito, a brow raised, to which Rito responded by shaking his head.

"Never mind.. It's nothing." He lowered his head, looking back down toward the grave. He would then turn his head toward Saibai as he heard him flick his fingers along something, raising a brow. "When did you.. Start smoking..?"

"Ah, it was just something we did." He would look toward the sky as he blew out a puff of smoke. "Your grandfather had us all smoke a single cigarette from the same box every year, on this exact day. But.. He ended up dying on this day.. And everyone else had found it too painful to continue the tradition.. But.. I found it more painful to stop going through the tradition." He would then place it in his mouth again, taking in a breath before releasing it from his mouth, letting out a puff of smoke. He would then lower his hand, looking down toward the grave before him.

"With that in mind.." He would flick the cigarette some, knocking off the burning edges of the stick. "So I decided to keep on having a smoke on this day.. In front of him." He would then look over to his son, who had a low expression as he too had looked to the grave. "CHEER UP!" He would then slap on his back hard, which had caused Rito to fall forward slightly with a loud grunt. "Don't be such a wet blanket, man!"

Rito would then stand upright, clutching his fist tightly as drops of water had fallen from his body, his head lowering more.

"How..?"

Saibai had raise a brow as he looked to him.

"Why..?" He looked down toward the ground. "Why don't you hold it against me..?" He would grit his teeth. "I wasn't able to do anything to save her.. I _failed _to protect her.." He would stomp his foot on the ground, a light splash emerging from it. "Damn it! Why won't everyone just blame me?! Why won't you all hate me?! It's my fault he's gone!"

He would then turn, hearing a footstep toward him before he was sent back, being met by Saibai's umbrella as it would strike Rito across the face, throwing him back a few steps with a hard slap.

He would then stop, blinking for a moment. He would then swing his head back toward Saibai as he grit his teeth. "HEY! WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!"

Saibai would then turn away, rubbing his ear. "Eh, I just felt like doin' it." Rito would deadpan to the comment. "Besides.. Satsuma would kick my ass if I blamed you for what happened that night. It just isn't your fault." He would then return the cigarette to his mouth. "You should be proud.. Your gramps got to be the hero he always wanted to be. Plus, he protected one of his precious grandchildren." He would then turn toward Rito. "Don't ever forget that that grandchild was you, ya know."

Rito would clutch the umbrella hanging in his hand tightly, the rain drooping over his head as the drops ceased from pouring down above. "..Dad.."

The moment was short lived as he had received a knee attack in the side from Saibai, who grit his teeth. "CHEER UP, DAMN IT!" He would then begin to walk off toward the distance as Rito had grumbled, recovering from the attacks. "Live a good life, Tatsuya." He would pocket his hands, "Live a good _long _life.. Grow old.. Hell, die after I do.. Cuz if ya don't, I just couldn't face him." He would then pull the cigarette, flicking it a last time before throwing it into the trash can next to him with a puff of smoke. "So stop with your sulkin', alright? You're just not old enough for the cold, tortured expression.

He would then wave. "See ya down the hill, Tatsuya."

With that exchange concluded, Rito had blinked, watching him walk off into the distance with his hands pocketed. The teen would then bite his lip slightly, thinking over his father's words of guidance. He would then stiffen his stance, staring forward.

"..you there.. Rukia?"

Much to his expectations, Rukia would emerge from the tree over the wall beside him.

"Your powers are returning.. Right?" Rukia had hesitated upon hearing his question, looking to her hands. "Well.. Whether they are or aren't.. Could ya.. Let me be.. A Soul Reaper for a little while longer..?" Rukia would look to Rito upon hearing these words. "I.. Want to become strong.. No. Not just strong.. I want to become powerful. So that I can protect the people.. From the Hollows.." He would grit his teeth, clutching his fists. "Also.. To kill that _monster_!" He would then look up toward Rukia, a determination in his eyes. "If I don't.. I could never face my grandfather!"

Rukia would stop, then smile brightly. "Tatsuya.."

* * *

_Renji would be standing atop a street pole, hands in his pockets. "So.. He brought Grand Fisher to a stalemate, huh? Interesting." He would turn, lowering his head._

_"How is he becoming so strong..? His Soul Reaper powers aren't even real.. Right?" He would then remove his_ _hands from his pockets, bringing his hand to the hilt of his sword, grabbing it tightly. "That bastard..!" He would then stop, removing his hand from the hilt, lowering his hand as he would then look up toward the sky._

_"Well.. I'd best report this turn of events to the Captain." He would then leap off into the distance, the wind blowing over his face as he flew._

* * *

_"AAAAAAAAGGGGHHHHHH!"_

_Inside of a white room, Grand Fisher's body had been wrapped in what seemed to be a white cloth, his body being torn as his body had been torn from his back as a what seemed to be another Hollow had been behind him, four arms sprouting from it's body with it's fingers extending from the core hands, all slashing through it to cut through Grand Fisher's back. _

_"Oh, shut up. I ought to tear you to pieces!" The Hollow would chuckle, his mask seeming to shape into a beak, the upper-left quarter of the mask revealing his piercing yellow eye glaring down toward Grand Fisher's body. "You ran away without even using all your powers! Hell, you didn't even stop toying with him, and look where it got you!"_

_Another, watching from above, would grin widely. Bandages had been covering over the entirety of his body, however, his mouth had been fully revealed alongside the hole in his chest, confirming he had been a Hollow. "That's right.. You should know that when you fight against a Reaper.. You should go for the head."_

_"I-I'm.. Sorry..!" Grand Fisher would comment, as the Hollow behind him had begun to tear at it's mask._

_"Ah, ah, ah. It's too late for sorry, you know.. I warned you prior. I don't like cleaning up your messes."_

_"Aw.. Don't say that." The Hollow with four arms had exclaimed, his eye seeming to indicate he was satisfied with his work. "We got his mask to come off, so this fiasco won't be repeated.." The cloth began to fall toward the ground as what seemed to be a humanoid with tattoos spread over their light tone skin over their body. The top ends of Grand Fisher's mask dropping from his face as he would lift his head, grinning widely. "Isn't that right.. Grand Fisher..?"_

_"Yeah.. I'll never give a _Soul Reaper_ a chance again." He would then look downward, grinning psychotically as he would widen his eyes. "Especially you.. Tatsuya Yuki..!"_

* * *

**〖END〗**

* * *

_My name.. Is Kon._

The stuff lion doll would be staring forward, his lips lightly parted as his arms were raised over his head.

_My original name was shortened to K.O.N.: King Of New York.. Not really._

Mikan had blinked, seeming to be upside down as she had held Kon by the leg.

_Lately, this lone wolf has been spending his time taking care of a certain orange haired, simple minded, violent, worthless, high schooler Soul Reaper and my savior, the beautiful, raven haired, disempowered Goddess, all by myself. I may look like a stuffed animal, but I have the heart of a_ real _lion! Is what I mean to say, but.. I find myself in dire straits right now._

Mikan would raise Kon higher, raising a brow to it while tilting her head. "Hmm.. This is definitely one dirty teddy _thing_.." She would tap her chin, releasing the vacuum that was in her other hand. "I wonder if it's Rukia or Lala's.."

_You.. May be wondering how I got into this situation.. Truth be told, this sad tale begins earlier in the day.._

* * *

**『_Through Heart and Soul: To-Love_ _Ru_』**

**【****Omake 1 | Paradise is Nowhere****】**

* * *

It was a peaceful day in Sainan Town, the birds had been chirping happily alongside the trees that's leaves gleefully swayed in the wind. The citizens had been walking by peacefully as normal, chattering about various topics. In the neighborhoods, teenagers had been walking by, all still chattering about topics that had varied amongst the groups.

However, this peace was brought to an abrupt pause as there was a slapping along the wall of the Yuki Household.

"OWWWWW!" Kon had screamed in agony as his leg had been in the clutches of Rito, who had been slamming him onto either side of the wall around the window on the outside. "What in.. The Soul Society.. Do you think.. You're doing..?!"

"Well, what do you think? You're a disgusting little germ farm. Gotta get the dirt out somehow." He would stop, raising a brow as he hung Kon just outside the window.

"JEEZ! YOU SAY THAT LIKE THIS HAPPENS TO ME EVERY DAY!" He would bark back, growliing as he would flail his arms around. "THERE ARE OTHER WAYS TO CLEAN ME, Y'KNOW!" Rito would then return to his previous routine of slamming her to either side of the window. "You don't have to knock the stuffing out of me, you..!"

As Kon had argued against Rito's actions as he continued to slam him against the outer wall, a figure had appeared behind him. "Stop, Rito!" Rito would stop, pulling Kon in as he would turn toward the figure with a brow raised. "I have the appropriate equipment for this!"

Kon, hanging from his grip, had been crying tears of joy. "Oh, Rukia! I knew you would come to my res-" Both Kon and Rito would gawk as they saw Rukia had been holding a broom from the school. "-cue...?" Rukia would then slap Kon out of Rito's hand, causing him to slam onto the ground before she slammed down the brustled end of the broom onto Kon's face, beginning to scrub over him back and forth. "OWWWWGGGHHH! RUKIA! PLEASE! MEEEERRRRCCCYYYYY!"

"Hey! Hold on!" Rito would plead, which would cause Rukia to stop, blinking as she looked to him.

"What?"

"Isn't that the school's bathroom broom? Where'd you even get that?!"

"Well, you answered it for yourself. I got it from the school." Rukia deadpanned.

"Take it back right now!"

Kon would be grumbling on the ground, attempting to get up from the ground as the two had bickered.

"Wow. I didn't know you were so by the book."

"I'm _not_! It's just common sense!" He would slam a paw on the ground. "H-HEY! DON'T PUT THAT ON THE FLOOR, IT'S GROSS!"

'_Damn it.. Why do they treat me like this..?! I'm part of the crew, _right_?! I'm just just as good as they are! You know what! That does it! I'm hittin' the road! I'm going to go find my own place! With a beautiful woman who will cherish me forever!_'

* * *

"So.."

Kon had been walking along the sidewalk, tapping his cheek. "It.. Seemed like a good idea when I was all worked up.." He would inspect his surroundings, "I'm penniless right now.. I can't even afford a bus ticket.. I can't really get anywhere at this point."

Lala would wave her arms around, wearing a baseball uniform with the cap turned backwards. "C'mon, Tatsuki! Give it to me~!" She would cheer loudly.

From afar, Kon would be taken aback, widening his eyes as he gasped, his jaw dropping. '_Could it be..? Is that..?_' He would then release a powerfully dramatic gasp. '_IT IS! LALA-SAMA!_' He would rush down toward the field she had been standing on. '_Oh yes! She's perfect! She'll give me the perfect home!_' He would dash forward. '_She's got the heart of the Virgin Mary, so there's no way she wouldn't!_' A vibrant blush would spread across his face. '_And with this body, she's _sure_ to hug me and nestle me within the two mountains between the valley of paradise!_' He would then stop, looking over as he realized it was too late.

"Dragon.. BAZOOKA!" Tatsuki would kick a soccer ball, which would take Kon with it on its flight toward Lala, who had been in a batting stance as she held the same bat she originally used her Almighty Tool on.

She would smirk before throwing her arm forward, striking Kon and the ball indirectly, causing the both of them to fly off into the sky above.

The two of them would be too focused on how far the ball flew to even notice Kon's screams, as Tatsuki would attempt to jump after it, but it was already leagues above her.

"Ah yeah! I won first! Did ya see it, Tatsuki?"

"Woah, hey. Don't get all excited yet. I know you're trying to make a combo of Soccer and Baseball called _Yakka _and all, but the defending team really has no way to win if they're against you."

"Huh? You think so?" Lala would tilt her head.

* * *

"Urgh.." Kon would hold onto the wall, using it to hoist himself back up as he breathed heavily. "I forgot about Lala's personality.." He had shook his head. "What bizarre luck.. Toppled by a game created by her insane subconscious desire to cause trouble..!" He would then stop, looking upward as he would see three individuals, widening his eyes. '_Another chance!_'

Risa had her hands behind her back as Mio and Haruna would follow close behind. As the two of them would chatter, Risa would twirl her hair, being a slight bit ahead of the two of them. She would then blink, looking forward. Haruna and Mio would then stop, raising a brow.

Kon had been lying on the ground, a breeze passing over him. '_Ah ha ha, yes! Look my way! I'm irresistable, aren't I?! Come on! Pick me up, pick me up! Talk about how dirty I am and let me take a bath with you~ Hehehe~!_'

"Oh, hey, look! What a cute stuffed-" Mio had jumped forward, smiling brightly toward Kon with sparkles in her eyes, before Risa took her next step, crushing Kon's body.

"What a filthy stuffed animal." She would comment with a toss of her hair, before the two of them would turn, hearing Kon's cry of pain shortly after.

'_Ah- Shit! Her ruthless assault was too sudden! I accidentally made a sound!_' Kon would move his eyes toward the three above him. '_Did they suspect m-_' He would then widen his eyes as all attention was now on him. '_Holy shit, they're staring at me!_' He would be dropping beads of sweat.

"Did it.. Just scream..?" Risa raised a brow.

"A talking stuffed animal! Let's capture it and sell it online!" Mio would grin widely.

They would then widen their eyes as Kon had rushed off toward the distance.

"Ah! It's getting away!" They would attempt to chase it, but stopped as they realized they had no chance of chasing it.

Though, they had gained a stroke of luck as Chad had happened to be walking by, seeing Kon on the run, widening his eyes.

'_AGH! WHY IS _THIS GUY _CHASING ME?!_' Kon would scream internally as Chad had been the one pursuing him, and he had a much easier time keeping up, which intimidated Kon further. "AGH! FORGET THIS! I'M GOING HOOOOOOME!" He would continue his rush into the distance.

* * *

_And so.. I returned home after losing him somehow.. But I couldn't bring myself to go back to Rito's room. So. I reluctantly snook into another room, but I unfortunately lost consciousness, and.._

A pair of slippers had touched the ground, the two of them stopping as Kon had lied on the ground defeated.

_And so.. I ended up.. In the aforementioned position._

Now, things return to the situation where Kon is in Mikan's grasp. '_Ugh.. Do what you want.. I give up.. Make me a pincushion, a cleaning rag, whatever.. Ok. Maybe not a cleaning rag._' Kon had sweatdropped, however to his surprise, Mikan had smiled brightly to him.

"Boy, you sure are dirty.." Mikan would then turn it upright, holding it in her hands with a bright smile on her face. "Let's take a bath together, then!"

'_..huh?_'

* * *

**〔**_**Instrumental**_**〕| Rito would have his hands in his pockets, staring out his room window, seeing the moonlight reflecting through the dark clouds as rain fell hard, the drops amassing on the window. He would turn behind him, seeing Rukia drawing on her sketchbook while sitting in his closet, and seeing Lala hum while playing video games on his bed, both wearing pajamas they likely stole from either himself or Mikan, in Rukia's case. He would watch them for a moment before he would walk out the door. **

**「Bokura ga.. Sagashi~te i~ta sora..」| He would reach the bottom of the stairs, looking to his right to see Mikan in the living room, watching one of her usual shows, and then to his left to see Saibai and Rai pass him, the two chatting about what appeared in a thought bubble above him to be their manga. He would then walk out the door. |****「Mashiro de chi-i-sa~na hiru no tsuki..」| He would be walking across the street, the barrier between him and the rain being the umbrella he carried rather loosely. He would then turn his head, seeing Keigo, Mizuiro, and Saruyama, who all waved toward him. In response, Rito would simply nod to them, continuing on his way.**

**「Kiete shimai sou de kowakute..」| Rito had put down his umbrella as he sat down at a bus stop, looking to his right to see three girls, one with brown hair tied up into a ponytail with a blue scrunchie, another with long blue hair, and the third having curled blonde hair. | ****「Orenji ni somaru made miteta..」| Rito would then shrug, continuing to walk forward.**

**「Nayami wa itsumo ko~ko~ni aru..」| Rito had arrived at Town Square, looking around him as he watched the citizens all walk around him, the rain beginning to pick up as he looked up. |****「Futatsu wo ichido ni mitasu no wa..」| He would then walk forward, watching as those around him would chatter over topics that he could not decipher. |****「Kodoku wo tebanasenai mama..」| He would then sigh, turning away from the scene where he saw standing as he would continue walking. |****「Dokoka de yuuki ga nai boku sa..」| He would soon be on the path up the hill, his free hand in his pocket as he would be walking up a hill.**

**「Ai ni amaete..」| Rito would lower his head, rain dropping over his umbrella and drooping down toward the ground behind him as he continued walking. |****「Kizu wo kakushite..」| He would then stop, turning as his pause had been at Satsuma's grave, looking down toward the stone slab, staring for a moment as the rain would drop heavily over them. |****「Soredemo.. Egao no ma-maー!」| He would then drop the umbrella as he looked toward the distance, his eyes widening as a hawk had flown past him.**

【 **Ending Theme** 】  
**『 good bye little moon 』- Mitsuru Matsuoka**

**「Good bye my lover, sayonara! Itoshiki hi~to!」| Rito would be running forward, chasing after the hawk as feathers had come to replace the rain falling around him, the street he ran upon slowly becoming a grass field. | ****「Goodbye little heart, sayonara! Itoshiki hibi- Hashiri~nu~ke~ta~ NANImo osorenu furi deー 」| Rito would continue to run forward, each feather having reflected a moment throughout the chapter. Such as when Rin had attempted to kiss Rito, and when Lala had bursted across the track in another feather.**

**「Wasurenai anata no yaasashii ko~e!」| A few of the feathers would fly over the scene, as Rito would keep running, now in Soul Reaper form as the sword inside the hilt would flap on his back at each step. |****「Wasurenai anata no sono namida- Furikae~rezu ni..」| He would keep charging forward as around him, appeared his friends, as he had passed them with a determined expression, as they had seemed to cheer him on as he chased after the hawk flying before him. |****「Ano tsuki niー Chikau yakusoku..」| As he would be chasing after the hawk, he would then look, seeing that Rukia had been walking forward, alongside Renji and Byakyuya, as the ground below him had come to shatter, him falling as he had reached toward them. Soon, he would crash toward the ground, landing in a mass of feathers that would all fly toward the sky.**

**「Bokura ga sagashita..」| He had rubbed the back of his head, standing up from the ground as he looked around, walking forward slowly. |****「Bokura ga mitsumeta..」| Rito had looked out toward the clouds above him, which had no longer been pouring, clearing out. |****「Kiete shimau so~u de chi-isa~na..」| He would then look further upward, seeing that the clouds had been revealing the moon, which had slowly been lowering down.**

**「good bye.. little.. moon..」| He would then raise his head, guarding his eyes as his face would be covered over by the light of dawn. He would then lower his hand, looking out to the sky ahead, as before him would be the sunrise, which he had looked to with a calm expression, lowering his shoulders as next to him stood Lala, Uryu, Chad, and Haruna.**

* * *

_"I apologize for taking so long to upload this Chapter. I've been working on it bit by bit every passing day, however something always ended up happening that had caused me to have to take up too much time to give it all a concrete conclusion in its entirety. But. In the end, I've managed to complete this Chapter and get it out to you guys. Although, another note, I've begun working on the next chapter of Game A Live: Operation Spirits, and am hoping to get that out as soon as I can. Also adding on that I am likely going to revamp the Rosario + Vampire series a bit, seeing as I have a different direction I'll be taking it, though that is with Tsukune's backstory and abilities, simply to line up with what I have planned for the future of that story. While, also, I plan to begin workings on a story based on Persona 5 Royal, with some details and more of Joker's personality chimed in, though it may be much later.__"  
"And so. The Introductory Arc for this story is nearing it's end. There are still some things I'll be covering before we transition to the Jailbreak in Soul Society Arc. However, in this next chapter you can expect a bit of a.. _Panic_."  
\- Red_


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